Cute Little Hamsters
by hinatatas
Summary: Tanaka and Sonia fall in love. A despairing Souda and a reluctant Hinata watch. (Reposted from AO3, spoiler warnings inside)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:** This fic is a pre-despair AU that assumes the cast of SDR2 were all in the same class at Hope's Peak. The first fifteen chapters of this story are being posted all at once. This fic has been available on Archive of Our Own for almost a year, but I decided to post it here for people who do not frequent that website. The version posted here may be slightly different than the version there, as I sometimes go back to make minor edits and will not transfer the original author's notes from AO3. Line breaks are represented by a "..."

**SPOILER WARNINGS** for Hinata's talent, Chapter 5 investigation, and various free time events.

The first few chapters are pretty rough, but I hope you all enjoy!

...

Kazuichi Souda could not have been more excited – or terrified - to attend Hope's Peak.

Coming from a poor family with an abusive father, not to mention the bullies he dealt with daily, mechanics were all he had from a young age to cope with his situation. He'd never had any lasting friendships; all the other kids picked on him for his glasses or his teeth or his panic attacks or his sensitivity... but that was all going to change! All his work with machines had finally paid off, and now he had a new start at the most prestigious school in the nation. He'd even changed his look so no one could pick on him for his glasses or general dorkiness anymore. Besides, the people here would be more accepting, right?

Souda nervously looked up at the towering main building of the academy before taking a deep breath and walking in.

Once inside, he made his way to the faculty office using the map that was provided for him. A long line of new students waiting to talk to the headmaster was forming, so the mechanic scratched at his newly-dyed hair and sighed before taking his place in the back. In front of him were an average-looking boy with a spike of hair sticking straight out of his head and a small girl clutching a game console in her hands.

_They look nice enough, _Souda thought nervously. i_But they're talking, so maybe I shouldn't bother them..._

His thoughts were interrupted as the short girl smiled at him. He grinned back before panicking and quickly making his face blank. _Shitshitshit they saw my stupid teeth they're gonna think I'm a freak it's all over I'm never gonna make friends why did I even think I could try... _He felt tears already building up in his eyes and struggled to keep them from spilling out; they would just hate him more if he started crying like some baby -

"Ah, are you okay?" the girl asked quietly.

"W-what?" Souda blinked a few times to dry his eyes and quickly slapped another smile on his face. "Yeah, yeah, I'm just, uh, a little... overwhelmed! This school is really big, y'know? Kinda confusing... I was never good with directions."

The other boy turned around and smiled. "Yeah, I understand. It seems really easy to get lost in here." He seemed a bit surprised upon taking in Souda's appearance, but he didn't say anything about it. "I'm Hajime Hinata, by the way. And this is..." He looked down at the girl; evidently he hadn't learned her name yet, either.

She stared off into space for a few awkward moments before saying, "...Chiaki Nanami."

Souda nodded. "The name's Kazuichi Souda! I'm a mechanic, probably one of the best there is!" _Confidence, confidence_, he reminded himself; all the popular people at his old school were always brimming with it to the point of being cocky.

His two classmates didn't seem fazed, at least. Hinata seemed to wait a moment for Nanami to state her talent before saying, "I'm just a reserve student... I got here through testing. You can probably tell what Nanami's talent is just by looking at her, right?" He smiled down at her, noticing that she had become enraptured in her game after withdrawing from the conversation.

"A gamer?" Souda blinked; it didn't seem like much of a talent, but insulting other people certainly wouldn't make any friends, so he grinned instead. "That's cool! And hey, Hinata, hard work can be just as good as talent, y'know? I only got where I am today because I've been workin' with machines since I was young!"

"O-oh, really?" Hinata said, looking a bit startled. He smiled back after a moment. "That's really nice of you to say, but it must be nice to have something that you specialize in... I'm not particularly good at anything."

"Nah, that can't be true!" Souda protested. "Y'must be really smart if ya took all those exams, right? I can never focus during those things."

"Well, I guess, but it's really not much compared to everyone else here... they're all so unique."

"Hinata," Nanami interjected. "Don't put yourself down. Everyone has something unique about them, and you're not an exception just because your talents aren't as obvious." Hinata looked at her, touched. "...That's what I think, at least."

He was about to reply, but Nanami was called into the office at that moment, so she waved to both of the boys and said that she'd see them later.

Souda noticed that Hinata couldn't keep himself from smiling.

"Ah, young love!" Souda swooned. "She must really like you, man; that was a nice little speech."

Hinata adjusted his tie and coughed. "N-no, you said something nice, too... I'm sure she was just going off that."

Souda winked. "Whatever you say."

...

That night, after an extensive tour of the campus, Souda made his way to his dorm room, exhausted. When he opened the door, it looked as though the other student sharing the room had already made himself comfortable; there was a banner of a pentagram hanging up on the wall, a huge metal cage for rodents with plastic tubes extending from it, a small pile of lettuce and other vegetables in the corner, and a stench of wood shavings that permeated the area.

_Wow, I can't wait to meet this guy, _Souda thought, dumping his bag on the floor. He could hear the shower running in the bathroom, so he at least had a few minutes to unpack before he met his lunatic roommate.

He had just finished setting up his stereo and was contemplating how he could get his cart of tools delivered to the school when the bathroom door opened to reveal the strangest man Souda would ever meet.

Though obviously not dressed in his everyday clothes, his bizarrely dyed hair and bandaged arm combined with his differently-colored eyes, one of which had a scar running through it, left an impression of danger. Souda immediately felt uneasy, though he couldn't say that his own appearance was much less intimidating.

"Yo," he ventured. "I'm Souda, and I guess we're roommates."

The other man stared at him for a moment before bursting into laughter that made Souda even more uncomfortable. "Ahahaha! Are you playing a joke of some sort, mortal? One cannot simply be the 'roommate' of Gundam Tanaka! Few, if any, are worthy to approach me, and those that wish to must pass an initiation! What sort of powers do you possess?"

"Uh... I fix stuff?"

"What type of 'stuff' do you speak of? Failed incantation circles? Demon summonings gone awry? Can you perform an exorcism?"

"N-no... I make and repair machines."

The man, apparently named Tanaka, laughed again. "Unworthy! You are unworthy to be in my presence, let alone share a dwelling with someone of my caliber! Leave immediately."

"But... this is the room I was assigned! The teachers on the tour said that every other room is taken!"

Tanaka's expression turned serious. "If you value your fleeting life on this planet, I suggest you find another room in which to reside. The poison running through my veins will kill you if you stay around my dark aura for much longer."

Half of Souda's mind suspected that this guy was full of crap and the other half wanted to jump out the window. "Didn't y'know that you'd be sharing a room when you got here?"

"Ha, of course I was aware of that! I simply expected that those with authority would choose someone more hardened from years of experience with the dark arts so as to gain a resistance to -"

"Hey, they chose me, okay? I don't think roomin' with you is gonna be that great either, but I'm too tired to talk to the headmaster right now. I'll do it tomorrow if it'll shut ya up."

Tanaka thought for a moment. "...Tch. Very well. I _suppose_ one night may be tolerable, but..." his gaze flicked over to the cage against the wall, "...do _not_, under any circumstances, come into contact with the Four Dark Gods of Destruction. That is a decision you would soon regret."

"Don't touch... your hamsters? Sure, whatever." Souda went back to sorting through his things, leaving Tanaka sputtering on the other end of the room about treating his dark gods with such disrespect. _He might've been dropped on his head as a baby or somethin',_ Souda mused, taking inventory of the scrap metal he had brought with him.

The rest of the evening went on largely without incident; Souda went to bed shortly after realizing he didn't actually need to unpack anything if he was hopefully going to switch rooms with someone the next day, and Tanaka was too preoccupied attending to his hamsters to say anything more.

...

Souda dragged himself into class the next day with bloodshot and baggy eyes. He looked around for a desk to collapse into and was surprised to see Hinata and Nanami talking near the windows, so he made his way over to them instead.

"Hey, guys," he said.

Hinata turned around and jumped back a little. "Woah, you don't look so good... did you get any sleep?"

"No. The goddamn hamster ran on its stupid squeaky wheel for _hours._" Souda tried to brighten up a bit. "But hey, I might be switching rooms today, so it's all good!"

"...Hamster?"

"Yeah, my roommate's fuckin' crazy... he kept talking about summoning demons and he owns hamsters that he calls gods or somethin'. M'gonna talk to the headmaster about it later."

"Mm, when I don't get enough rest, I tend to just fall asleep anywhere... that could help, maybe?" Nanami offered.

Souda grinned. "Yeah, I'll try that if class gets too boring!"

Hinata seemed a bit bewildered at the exchange but, before he could respond, he heard the classroom door open and looked over Souda's shoulder toward the noise. "Who the hell is that..?" he muttered to himself.

Souda and Nanami directed their gazes toward the door, and Souda screeched in surprise before whipping back around to face Hinata. "That's him! That's my roommate!" He turned around again, noticing the small heads poking out of Tanaka's muffler. The breeder walked over to a desk in the back corner of the room, sat down, and started petting one of the balls of fur. "...Seriously? He brought his hamsters into class?"

Hinata seemed as though he were about to say something, but at that moment, the most stunning girl - no, _goddess_ - Souda had ever seen stepped into the room.

"Holy crap," he whispered. Everything about her was perfect: her large, inviting eyes, her long hair that billowed around her back like a cape, the small smile that never seemed to leave her lips... and her figure. Damn.

Souda had to go talk to her.

"I... I'll be right back," he muttered, walking over to the other end of the room. He attempted to compose himself before reaching the girl, but she noticed him approaching and smiled wider, which just made him flustered all over again.

"Good morning!" she said brightly.

"Hey, I'm Kazuichi Souda! What's your name, gorgeous?"

"I am called Sonia Nevermind, heir to the throne of Novoselic. I am pleased to make your acquaintance, Mister Souda!"

Souda's eyes widened. "A... a princess? Is that your talent?"

"Indeed! My mother and father have been raising me since birth to prepare for the day when I will rule the country." Her eyes brightened suddenly. "I'm hella excited to be here, though! I have always wanted to visit Japan and learn of its culture firsthand!"

"Ah, that's great! I hope you like it here." He wanted to say more, but the room had filled with students and class was about to start, so he took a seat and suffered through a lecture on the importance of hard work, trying his best not to doze off.

Even with such a beautiful girl in his class, school still really sucked.

The next few months progressed in a monotonous manner; Souda, following Nanami's advice, often fell asleep in class for a few moments every day before the teacher yelled at him. He caught glances at Sonia when he was awake, hung around Nanami and Hinata often, and generally studied very little. The headmaster had denied his request to room with another student, considering how full the school was and how the two roommates had never really fought or threatened each other's safety. Tanaka didn't seem terribly pleased to hear this, but Souda figured he'd learn to deal with it.

In the weeks leading up to winter break, the mechanic noticed a disturbing trend; Sonia had been hanging around Tanaka quite often, gazing adoringly at the hamsters he carried around at all hours of the day and chatting enthusiastically. She still seemed friendly around Souda himself, but he couldn't feel the connection that she seemed to have with his roommate. It was probably because he was always petting some cute animal, working in some of the facilities provided by the school and doing... breeder-y things. Whatever. Souda figured that if it wasn't for the furballs he was always carrying around, Sonia wouldn't even be interested in him.

And then Souda knew what he needed to do.

He needed to buy the goddamn cutest, fluffiest animal the world had ever seen.


	2. Chapter 2

The day of Souda's epiphany, he approached Hinata after class and offered a friendly grin. "Hey, Hinata! You free after school today?"

"Uh, actually, we have midterms coming up -"

"Great! Then do y'wanna to go somewhere with me? It'll be quick, I promise!"

Hinata sighed. "...Where do you want to go and why do I have to go with you?"

"I'm goin' to the pet store to buy a fluffy-ass animal! You have to go because you're good with girls... or Nanami, at least... and you can help tell me what Lady Sonia would like."

Hinata coughed slightly at the comment about Nanami. "Why do you need to buy her an animal?"

"No, dude, I'm buyin' _myself_ an animal so I can carry it around like Tanaka does! Then she'll see I'm all sensitive and stuff and she'll like me!"

"You realize Tanaka is only allowed to carry his hamsters around because it's related to his talent, right?"

Souda paused. "...Holy shit, are you sayin' if I build an animal I can carry it around with me?"

Hinata looked about ready to leave the classroom. "I really don't want to know how your thought process works. Look, I need to go study now, but I guess we could go somewhere another time if you want."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. I've got a robot to build," Souda muttered, dashing into the hallway even faster than Hinata. He quickly made his way over to the workshop, already designing the toy in his mind: the materials to use, which animal to model it after and how that would affect the features he could install... it would have to be something small, so maybe a mouse or rat? Too similar to Tanaka's hamsters; he needed to stick out... a kitten or puppy, then? There were already lots of kids' toys modeled after those pets, so it wouldn't be anything too remarkable...

Just as he reached the door to that led to the welding supplies, he figured it out: a ferret. Ferrets were bigger and cooler than hamsters, but still small enough to carry around; he could just sling it around his neck during the day and Sonia would go crazy over how cute yet vicious it looked and how great Souda was for building it... the mechanic didn't even try to hide his smile as he started looking for the right type of metal.

The next morning, Kazuichi Souda casually walked into class with a robotic ferret slung around his neck and a huge grin on his face. Hinata immediately saw him and didn't seem to know whether to be surprised or angry, which resulted in him widening his eyes and furrowing his brows simultaneously. He went up to Souda with that look still stuck on his face.

"What the _hell?_ You built that thing in one night? Did you sleep at all?"

"Nope! I'm hyped up on caffeine!" Souda beamed. His breath stunk of sugar.

"You drank soda all night? Why not coffee or something? All your teeth are going to fall out - no, I'm more confused about why you decided to stay up all night when we have midterms next week just to do something to impress a girl. Couldn't you have waited?"

"Well, yeah, but I would've probably been so antsy about it that I wouldn't've been able to focus anyway. When I get an idea, I just need to do it, y'know?"

Hinata seethed as quietly as he could. Nanami heard him from halfway across the room. "Look, you finished the damn thing, so how about you actually study now? If you were as motivated to do well in school as you were to date Sonia, you wouldn't have to complain to me all the time about how many tests you barely passed."

Souda huffed. "Hey, just let me enjoy the fruits of my labor for now, okay? I'll study later if it'll get ya off my back."

Hinata directed his glare toward the door as Sonia walked in with Tanaka trailing behind her. Souda turned around to greet the former, ignoring his roommate. "G'mornin', Miss Sonia!"

Sonia smiled politely and directed her attention to the thing around Souda's neck. He cheered internally. "Oh my, what is that? Some new type of fashion?"

"Nah, s'just a little robot I made in my spare time!" He pressed a button on its neck and held out his arm, which the ferret proceeded to wind itself around before nuzzling its head in the mechanic's hand.

"Hey, that's kinda impressive," Hinata admitted.

Tanaka looked furious.

"That... is an affront to nature. Every being on this earth is created by the powers that be with a specific purpose. Do you hope to achieve a godlike status by building that... imitation?"

"H-hey, no, don't take it that way! I just thought it'd be kinda cool..."

"Cool?" Tanaka spat. His hamsters peeked out of his muffler to chatter disapprovingly. "To describe that thing as anything but an abomination is absolutely repulsive. I am speechless."

_Really? 'Cause you still seem to have a lot to say_, Souda thought, frowning.

"Mister Tanaka, I'm sure that a lot of hard work was put into the creation of that robot! If you don't like it, Mister Souda can put it away, right?" Sonia gave Souda a glace that suggested he better agree with her.

"Yeah, I guess..." he sighed, pressing the button on the ferret's neck again. "Sorry, Chubs."

Tanaka looked like he was going to have stroke. "_Chubs?_ How dare - "

Sonia patted his shoulder slightly, causing the breeder to shrink away. "Shall we sit down? You will feel better once class starts!"

"H-how..." Tanaka started, too flustered to say anything more; he stood in shock for a moment before scurrying to his desk in the corner, leaving a concerned Sonia behind.

She frowned slightly. "Oh, no, I forgot that he doesn't like being touched... I feel awful."

"Hey, if he doesn't want a beautiful girl touching him, that's his problem!" Souda said, waving one hand and leaning in toward her a bit. "You can touch me anytime ya want, princess," he grinned.

She shot him the kind of blistering glare that Hinata only wished he could master.

"You have already offended Mister Tanaka, and now you insist on saying such abhorrent things to me, as well? Apologize!"

Souda took a step back, feeling his pulse spike. "Yes, ma'am! I'm sorry!"

"Good. And though I am sure you did not mean to upset Tanaka, I would recommend that you apologize to him as well." She looked away, gripping one arm defensively. "It seems that I will have to do so later, anyway." With that, she walked away to take her seat.

Souda sighed and plopped down heavily into his chair. Hinata reluctantly took his usual spot to the left.

"You're gonna tell me how much I screwed up now, aren'tcha?" Souda muttered.

"I wouldn't even know where to start," Hinata said, pausing for a moment. "...You really named it Chubs?"

"It was supposed to be ironic," Souda groaned, setting his head on the desk.

...

That day, after classes ended, Sonia noticed Tanaka speeding out of the room, looking down at the floor and hiding his face in his scarf. She sighed, figuring that he wasn't quite ready to talk yet, and made her way to the library; she could always relax there, at least.

The next hour was spent poking through various murder mystery novels, as Sonia couldn't bring herself to study at the moment. She sincerely hoped that she hadn't ruined her friendship with Tanaka; he was such an interesting man with so many stories to tell, and Sonia knew that he was truly kindhearted underneath his dark lord facade. The fact that he was so upset over being touched not only showed that he had interacted very little with others in the past, but that he was concerned for her safety. If he believed that any person who touched him became cursed, as he had once told her, it was logical to assume that he withdrew into himself for the supposed protection of others, which both warmed Sonia's heart and made her feel very, very sorry for him.

_What a lonely life he must have lived until now,_ she thought, frowning and dejectedly placing her favorite book of short stories back on the shelf. She decided to wait a day or two before talking to him again, and with that in mind, she attempted to study for a few hours.

Being a princess, she was expected to be very well-educated, and she did indeed excel in all subjects except one: mathematics. If she studied enough, she could still get excellent grades, but it didn't come as easily to her as languages or the sciences, and especially not as effortlessly as history. Learning of previous civilizations and rulers, how kings and queens failed and succeeded, if they were murdered, how, why, by whom... it all fascinated her.

But no, she was getting off topic. She was going to practice her math and she was going to pass her midterms with the highest grade in the class, because that was what was expected of her.

She pored over books on geometry and advanced algebra as much as her will allowed her, but she felt her eyes growing heavy before long; she had been up late studying the night before, and perhaps the night before that. It was easy to lose track of the days. She shook her head from side to side a bit to try and clear her mind, but within a few more minutes, she had set her head down in her arms, hoping that no one would see her acting so undignified; she was in the very back corner of the library, and most of the other students had already gone back to their rooms to study in silence or to rest, so it was unlikely that she would come across anyone.

_It's fine_, she thought. _I will simply take a short break and return to studying after a few minutes_. Her mother had always told her that study breaks were important if she started feeling too overwhelmed. Proud to follow her parents' advice, she closed her eyes and immediately felt herself drifting away into the deep waters of sleep.

Sonia had wanted to be a lucid dreamer the moment she heard about the practice, but no matter how many times she attempted to control her own dreams or how many books she read on the subject, she couldn't do it.

She was more likely to have nightmares, really.

When she had her first bad dream at four years old, there had only been snatches of sharp, bloody teeth and distorted screaming, but as she read legends, religious texts, folklore, _anything_ that would tell her that the monsters in her head weren't real, that they couldn't hurt her, the dreams only became more vivid, incorporating the creatures and gods she was so interested in studying.

In the waking world, Sonia feared nothing, reading books on the occult and even trying the occasional ouija board or summoning circle in attempts to gain control of the demons that plagued her mind. In her dreams, however, everything became irrational and everything became horrific.

When she jerked back awake, she had already forgotten most of the dream, but she still sat up and cast a glance around the room to make sure that it was safe. Outside, the sun had already set, and the moon was rising peacefully in its place. Sonia sighed and stretched her arms up in the air, trying to work out the kinks in her muscles, but then felt something heavy slip off her shoulders.

She looked down and saw a familiar black cape on the ground.

...

The next day, Sonia walked a bit nervously into class, holding Tanaka's neatly folded garment over one arm. Casting an eye over the room, she only saw Nidai and Owari in a typically heated argument, Hinata and Nanami talking quietly and haltingly by the window, and her roommate, Tsumiki, shaking nervously in the back row. She decided to walk over to the nurse, not wanting to disturb anyone else.

"Good morning, Miss Tsumiki," Sonia greeted.

"A-ah, good... no, it's a b-bad morning! Bad!" Tsumiki hid her face in her hands, whispering, "I'm awful, I'm awful, I-I'm so awful..."

"Tsumiki!" Sonia scolded. "Please pull yourself together and tell me what the matter is!"

"I-I'm sooo-oorry!" she wailed. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes and tried to look up from her desk. "I-I... this morning, I was working early in the infirmary, and..." she paused to breathe in deeply, "I f-forgot to pick up an empty syringe and I tripped over it r-right onto the head nurse a-and I got tangled up in a bunch of dental floss so s-s-she couldn't get up without shoving my useless body aside... I got so scared and I thought she was g-going to yell at me, which I deserve, but s-she was so nice and helped me a-and all I did was waste her time!"

"...Where exactly did the dental floss come from?"

"I don't _know!_" Tsumiki cried. "We always keep some around s-somewhere..."

"I apologize for upsetting you by asking; where it came from is not the important part. From what you have told me, it simply sounds like an accident! Please do not call yourself useless or a waste of time; you do not deserve to be yelled at by anyone just for something as silly as - "

"A-ah, I know! I know! It's despicable that I'm so upset over s-something so silly!"

Sonia gave Tsumiki a firm look. "No, that is not what I was going to say. Everyone makes mistakes from time to time, and it is okay if you feel upset, but if people have been yelling at you for those simple mistakes, then they are the ones at fault!"

Tsumiki attempted to dry her eyes once more. "N-no, I was the one that messed up... I-I'm sorry for wasting your time! Class is going to start soon, s-so you can sit down now i-if you want... away from me..."

Sonia planted herself in the seat right next to her roommate. "There," she said, smiling. "We shall talk about this more later, if you would like, but know that I expect you to hold yourself in higher esteem!"

"I... I could try, i-if it would make everyone hate me less," Tsumiki murmured.

"Wonderful!" Sonia beamed. "And no one hates you, Miss Tsumiki!" As she finished speaking, she noticed movement by the door and turned her head to see Tanaka hesitantly walking in. "Ah, excuse me for one moment, please."

Tanaka went to his usual seat in the back corner, only one desk separating him from the unusual spot Sonia had sat in that day. Souda seemed to be glaring over at them apprehensively, but Sonia honestly couldn't have cared less; she had more important things to attend to, anyway.

Taking a deep breath, she walked over to Tanaka, offered a friendly smile, and held out his cape. "Thank you for lending me this, Mister Tanaka! I didn't have time to wash it, but I hope I am forgiven both for that and for my actions yesterday." Sonia knew it was a bit ridiculous to apologize for a simple pat on the shoulder, but she could swallow her pride in this particular case.

Tanaka stared at the black bundle in Sonia's hands, refusing to make eye contact. He nodded and took it after a moment.

An awkward silence followed.

Sonia shifted uncomfortably. "Ah, perhaps you would like to talk about what happened after class today? If you are not ready or do not wish to speak with me, I understand-"

"No," Tanaka muttered. "It is best that we discuss the issue at hand as quickly as possible, lest it fester into an ugly demon of resentment and distrust." He attempted to look up at Sonia, but quickly hid his face in his scarf instead and mumbled something into it.

"Hmm?"

Tanaka cleared his throat. "The secluded place at the library where you were... resting yesterday seems an ideal location for such a discussion."

Sonia felt her face warming up. "I-I am very sorry that you had to see me in such a state! I assure you, it has never happened before, and was only the result of many late nights of studying."

Tanaka adjusted his muffler and laughed, his voice sounding a bit shaky. "You needn't apologize for the weaknesses that hinder you upon assuming a mortal form! Though a dark being such as I would never rest in such a populous spot, lest an ambassador of good come forth with the purpose of performing an assassination, it is understandable that you would succumb to a moment of weakness."

"Wow, Mister Tanaka, you truly must be on your guard at all times! Surely it becomes taxing," Sonia remarked.

The "dark being" looked about ready to retreat into his scarf again. "Aha, yes, well... it is nothing, really."

"I find it admirable," Sonia said, smiling. "Nonetheless, we shall meet at that corner of the library after classes today, yes?"

"Indeed."

"I will see you then, Mister Dark Lord!" Sonia walked away merrily, leaving a rather flustered Tanaka trembling slightly in his desk.

...

During lunch, Souda scooted into his usual spot next to Hinata, who was looking less and less happy with the arrangement every day. Nanami, on the other hand, didn't seem to care who sat around her at all.

"Hey," the mechanic started, "did y'see Lady Sonia talkin' with Tanaka this morning?"

Hinata sighed around his sandwich. "Souda, I don't c-"

"She gave'im his cape back! That means that she borrowed it and that means that they're practically datin' already!"

"Oh, well."

Souda narrowed his eyes. "Hey, whose side are you on? I saw 'em! They were blushin' and laughin' and I'm not gonna stand for it!"

"Yeah, seeing two of our classmates happy just pisses me off," Hinata deadpanned, figuring that Souda wasn't really listening anyway.

"Right? How dare they be all flirty right where everyone can see 'em!"

Nanami blinked. "...Ah, Souda, don't you do the same thing?"

"That doesn't matter right now. Look, I couldn't hear much, but they said somethin' about meeting in the library after classes today, and I'm gonna check it out. I need someone to come with so I don't look suspicious if they see me."

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Going to the library alone isn't even suspicious; lots of people do it."

"Hinata, have you ever seen me go to the library at all?"

"...No."

"Exactly."

"..."

"So, yeah, one of you has to go with me. We can say y'were lookin' for a book for the midterms comin' up."

"Hey, instead of wasting our time pretending/that we're studying, why don't we actually do it and leave Sonia and Tanaka alone?"

Souda thought about this proposal for about two seconds. "Nah, I like my idea better."

Hinata tried seething quietly again, and the whole cafeteria heard him.


	3. Chapter 3

After Souda's teacher finished yelling at him after school about missed work and decreasing class participation, the disgruntled mechanic trudged into the hallway, where Nanami was playing her game and Hinata was leaning against the wall, trying not to fall asleep.

"Okay, guys, are you ready?" Souda asked, fists on his hips.

Hinata glared and Nanami said nothing.

"Awesome! Let's go," he said, pointing down the hallway dramatically and setting off ahead of the other two. "All systems go, Operation: Library Lookout is in progress!"

"Do we really have to call it that? This is bad enough already," Hinata muttered.

"..."

"Nanami?"

"Hm? Oh, I think it's kind of exciting," the gamer finally said, smiling softly. "We're like Agent 006½ in Secret Agent: The Hunt for Red Rock Rover, walking through labyrinths of bookshelves, avoiding enemies and landmines until we reach the our objective, the main fortress..."

Hinata blinked slowly. "Uh, I don't think it's exactly like that."

"...Maybe not, but it has the same general idea."

Hinata sighed, lamenting that he had actually grown used to Nanami's obscure game references. "Did he really have to make it an alliterative title, though...?"

"Ah, I think it's somewhat catchy."

"Hey, what're you guys talkin' about back there?" Souda demanded, turning around to face the duo and walking backwards down the hallway.

"I'm really not sure if you want to know," Hinata grumbled.

"Okay, whatever, leave me outta your little lover's conversation." Hinata started to object, his face turning slightly pink, but was interrupted by Souda's enthusiastic ranting. "Let's talk plans! So I was thinkin' that once we find 'em, I can just listen real close and hear what they're sayin', and if they're doin' any couple-y stuff like holdin' hands or makin' goo-goo eyes, then we can come up with some sort of distraction."

"That's awful," Hinata said after a pause. "Do you really think that one distraction is going to stop them from getting together if that's what they want to do?"

"Hey, it's a start. We can come up with bigger schemes later, but I didn't have much time to think of anythin' complicated."

"I'm sorry, did you say 'we'?"

"Yeah!" Souda said brightly. "You and me, we're like... soul friends! We can get into all kinds a' shenanigans and do bro stuff!"

Hinata thought about this for a moment. "Does that mean that Nanami doesn't always have to come along on these stalking expeditions?"

"Not if she doesn't want to... and hey, I'm not stalkin' anyone! I'm just doin' what I have to do."

"What makes you think Sonia wants to date you, anyway?"

"Why would you ask somethin' like that? A'course she does..." Souda looked down at his feet, sniffling slightly.

They walked down the hallway quietly for the next few minutes, the electronic sounds of Nanami's game the only noise besides three pairs of footsteps walking in sync. After it become too unbearable, Hinata swallowed his pride and said, "Hey, I'm sorry. I didn't... mean to be rude or anything, I was just asking."

Souda grinned. "Don't worry about it! I forgive you, 'cause that's what friends do."

Hinata thought his "soul friend" was laying it on a bit too thick; had he not had a single friend before coming to Hope's Peak? Then again, a lot of the students attending the prestigious school only fit in there because they were so exceptional, so it was likely that most of them didn't have many friends in their younger years.

Upon reaching the library, Souda realized that he actually had no idea where in the two-story room Tanaka and Sonia were planning to meet, so he quietly led Hinata and Nanami around and acted like he knew what he was doing.

After carefully peeking around the seventh shelf (and most likely before that), Hinata realized what was going on and said, "You don't actually know where they are, do you?"

Souda scratched at his cheek. "Nah, but the library's not that big; they've gotta be around somewhere, right?"

Hinata heaved a sigh and continued following Souda around, Nanami trailing behind. Within about twenty minutes, they finally heard two voices speaking softly in a corner on the second floor.

"We found 'em!" Souda whispered loudly. "Just peek out from behind this shelf real slow and we can hear 'em better."

...

Sonia sat down, smoothing out her skirt and looking across the small table at Tanaka. She didn't quite know what to say, and it seemed that he didn't, either.

After a few beats of silence, Sonia cleared her throat delicately and said, "Once again, I apologize for touching you without warning. I forgot that you dislike such types of interaction."

Tanaka stared down at the table as he spoke. "It is not that I particularly like or dislike the sensation of touch, but that any mortal who laid their hands on me would immediately disintegrate... in theory."

"In theory?" Sonia asked. "Have you not made contact with anyone in all your life?"

"I have avoided it as much as possible... the only people who have touched me during my time on this earthly plane are my mother and father, but they are not human."

"What are they?"

"An angel and a demon, respectively."

"...Ah." Sonia had to wonder what Tanaka's childhood was like, but she decided not to press the issue. "Then... are you perhaps saying that I am not mortal, either?"

"I am not sure," Tanaka muttered, brows furrowing in thought. "Certainly you are... unique in comparison to most other mortals, but I am not sure exactly how you differ."

"Well, I'm sure there is no hurry to figure it out, yes? If I was fine after touching you one time, then am I permitted to do it again? I enjoy hugging those I am close with, or even sharing a high-five if one of us did something particularly rad!"

"We are... close?"

"Of course! We're friends, aren't we?" Sonia smiled.

Tanaka's head snapped up, eyes widening. The princess feared that she had offended him, but he merely said, "Ah... I... I suppose I could call you a comrade."

"Excellent!" Sonia held her hand across the table for a celebratory high-five. Tanaka stared incredulously at the outstretched limb before touching his palm softly to hers. They sat there with their hands still touching for a few moments, one student growing progressively more confused and the other becoming progressively redder.

Sonia finally spoke up. "Is this how high-fives are supposed to wo-"

_Thump._

Both students flinched away as they looked down towards the book lying face down on the floor. The sound of footsteps running away was heard a moment later, along with a whispered curse.

Tanaka jumped to his feet, eyes scanning the room. "Have we offended the passing spirit of a former librarian?"

Sonia stood up as well. "I certainly hope not!" She called out into the air, "We apologize for our conduct!" She then remembered that they were in a library and covered her mouth with one hand, scolding herself for further breaking the rules.

Tanaka shook his head. "No, noble one, it is not necessary to apologize. If you truly wish to be a comrade of mine, then you must build up your powers to the point where you fear nothing; a phantom in particular is harmless."

"But shouldn't we still be polite?"

"Ha! Dark lords need not be courteous; it should be considered an honor if they are, in fact."

They paused as two pairs of footsteps could be heard fading away.

"A deceased couple...? Perhaps this tome is a sign of some sort?" Tanaka mused, picking the book up and flipping it over to read the title. His face flushed. "...No, utter foolishness! This is merely a coincidence."

"What is it?" Sonia asked, stepping slightly closer.

"Nothing of importance!" Tanaka sputtered, walking briskly over to the shelf where the book had come from and shoving it back in place. "I must take my leave now, but I found your conversation... tolerable. I will see you tomorrow."

"Yes, I think that you are very tolerable as well, Mister Tanaka!" Sonia beamed. "Farewell!"

"...Farewell," he muttered, walking away.

Once he was out of sight, Sonia sneaked over to the closest shelf. As she read the title of the book whose spine was sticking out haphazardly, she flushed as well.

_The Science Behind Love, Happiness, and Other "Positive" Emotions_

_..._

Hinata burst into the cafeteria with Nanami trailing behind him. He zeroed in on Souda casually eating dinner at their usual table and slammed his hands down in front of the mechanic.

"Souda, what the _hell?_"

The target of Hinata's rage swallowed a mouthful of rice. "What?"

"You know very goddamn well what! How could you just throw a book down, panic, and run away? You're the one that wanted to spy on them in the first place and then you just desert us during the most risky part?"

"Hey, once there's a possibility that we might get discovered, it's every man for himself! ...Or woman," he added, glancing at Nanami.

"The only reason we would've gotten discovered is because of _you_ and that excuse for a distraction!"

"Well, originally I thought about tipping the shelf over, but then I figured I didn't need two adults yelling at me in one day, y'know?"

Nanami tilted her head to the side in confusion. "Mm, and wouldn't that be dangerous, too? You could have crushed them, like when the ceiling was coming down to crush the protagonist in Paper Mario: The Thousand Year Door... ah, but they would've had even less time to react, though they wouldn't have had to navigate through a maze of spikes..."

Souda blinked. "...Um, yeah. That too. So really, throwing the book down was the better option."

Hinata slumped onto the bench across from Souda. "I don't think I have the energy to study anymore," he mumbled, running a hand through his hair.

Nanami took a seat beside him and said, "Yes, I'm feeling... quite tired."

"Get some food! That'll help ya," the source of Hinata's fatigue said.

"I've lost my appetite," Hinata replied, then jumped slightly as he felt a weight settling on his shoulder.

He looked down to find that Nanami had fallen asleep.

...

That night, Souda studied for about thirty minutes and gave up. Even that much was pretty impressive for him, so he felt accomplished as he tinkered with his radio, trying to improve its range and get more channels. The sound of the door opening directed his attention toward Tanaka, who slipped into the room without a word. The boys went about their separate tasks without acknowledging each other until Souda managed to work up his courage and say, "Hey, what's up with you and Lady Sonia lately?"

Tanaka looked up from whatever he was doing - was he somehow high-fiving the fat hamster? - and said, "What is 'up' between us is none of your concern, unworthy one. Do not involve yourself with the affairs of _gods_."

Souda screeched. "Do you mean 'affair' as in...?"

The breeder blinked, flushing slightly. "As in business! What sort of disgusting, impure thoughts are you having?"

"Well, when ya phrase it like that, a'course I'm gonna take it that way!"

"And, of course, I would not expect someone like _you_ to properly comprehend the refined language of the future Ascendant Ruler of Ice."

"I wouldn't _want_ to ever know what the hell you're sayin', anyway!"

"Very _well_, then!"

Souda and Tanaka went back to their respective tasks for the next half hour.

Once the mechanic finished tuning in as many channels as he could, he realized something. "Hey, ya never answered the question."

"What, you mean my business with the noble one? I have told you, it is none of your concern."

"You're awfully defensive about it, aren'tcha?"

Tanaka's glare almost made Souda back down, but he held his ground. "...We are comrades. The workings of your mortal mind are so nonsensical that I must ask why you are so insistent on knowing that insignificant piece of information."

"Don't play dumb with me, hamster boy! I know you're tryin' to steal her from me!"

"Excuse me? Lady Sonia is not a possession," Tanaka snarled. "She is a sentient being, and superior to you in every respect. I cannot 'steal' her."

"Yeah, I know she's better than me, and ya don't have'ta rub it in! I'm just sayin' that I saw her first, and that I wanna be her man, and that the sight of you two talkin' and smilin' together makes me sick!"

"Are you perhaps suggesting that I, Gundam Tanaka, would like to be her 'man'?" He paused for a moment after that, as if in thought. "...Hm, ridiculous. Pursue her if you will, but you shan't accomplish anything besides making yourself look like a fool." With that, he put his hamsters back in their cage and sat at his desk to study, ignoring any more comments from his roommate.

"Fine, I'm so glad I got your _permission,_ o Dark Lord," Souda muttered, sulking out of the room. He needed to go smash something.

...

At the same time that Souda and Tanaka were bickering in their room, Sonia was studying diligently in her own dorm; she had decided to avoid reading in library until midterms were over, just in case she fell asleep over her textbooks again. She had completed about half of her math problems when Tsumiki hesitantly entered the room, trying to make as little noise as possible. When she was two steps through the door, she tripped over a stray pencil and landed on the floor with a loud screech.

Sonia rushed over to make sure the nurse was okay. "Are you hurt?" she asked urgently, bending down and offering a hand to help her roommate up.

"A-ah, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!" Tsumiki whimpered, scrambling to her feet on her own and massaging her bruised knees. "I-I tried not to disturb you b-because you were studying, but I just made that loud n-noise... you may punish me in any way you see fit!"

"Miss Tsumiki, I am not going to punish anyone!" Sonia said sternly, hands on her hips. "It was an accident, which hardly requires an apology in the first place."

"B-but..."

"No, no but's! You are just as good as anyone else attending this academy, and I refuse to see you demean yourself in this manner!"

Tsumiki cowered at Sonia's commanding voice. "Y-yes, ma'am, I'm sorry..." she said, tears prickling in her eyes.

The princess sighed, trying to switch to a more comforting tone. "I apologize; sometimes a noble upbringing does not benefit me in social situations. Nonetheless, please try to have more respect for yourself! As your friend, it pains me to see you constantly putting yourself down."

"My... friend?" Tsumiki murmured. "All my other f-friends just used me for entertainment and th-threw me aside when they were done... i-isn't that how it works?"

Sonia gasped. "No, that is not how it should work at all! Not that I have had many of them, myself, but friends are supposed to help and support you!"

"But w-weren't they just being honest when..." Tsumiki looked towards the floor, trembling, "w-when they told me I was useless a-and ugly and - "

"No, no, no!" Sonia almost fainted; how much had this poor girl been through? "I am sorry if this offends you, but your old friends sound like awful people who gave you a twisted view of yourself!"

"I-I'm sorry, I need to..." the nurse quickly walked past Sonia, jumped into her own bed, and buried herself under the covers.

It seemed that the road to recovery would be a long one. Sonia sighed and went back to studying, trying to delay going to sleep for as long as possible. When she finally felt her eyes growing heavy, she quietly closed her textbooks, turned off the lights, and went to sit upright on her bed.

She repeated Tanaka's words over and over to herself; _fear nothing, fear nothing, fear nothing_. It wasn't as though she hadn't tried something like this before, repeating her parents' or servants' comforting phrases in her mind to chase away the nightmares; it rarely worked, but she figured that words coming from a dark lord himself might help chase the demons away. It was worth a try, at least.

Sonia lay down beneath her covers and shut her eyes, the words _fear nothing, fear nothing, fear_ nothing etched behind her eyelids.

When she awoke a few hours later in a cold sweat, she sat up and put a hand on her chest to feel her heart thumping out of control.

She was afraid.

...

Classes were rather unremarkable the next day, although Hanamura did have an interesting announcement to make in the morning.

"Hey, anyone who wants a break from studying this weekend should come up to my room for some... extracurricular courses!" the chef said, wiggling his eyebrows. Everyone groaned and Saionji slapped him, but Sonia didn't see anything wrong with the offer; if someone wanted to teach their classmates how to cook, presumably, then how could that be a bad thing? She decided to consult Tanaka and Tsumiki on the matter, considering that she now sat in between the two.

"Mister Hanamura has just made a generous proposal to teach us the culinary arts! Would either of you like to take up his offer with me?" Sonia asked, glancing to her left and right as she spoke.

"I-I have to work this weekend," Tsumiki muttered. "A-and I don't think that those are the type of classes that he meant..."

"Whatever do you mean?" Sonia couldn't imagine why the chef would teach another subject, like math or science; he didn't particularly seem to excel in his studies.

"N-no, it's nothing... I-I'm sure he could teach you how to cook, too," Tsumiki said, looking down at her desk and fidgeting.

"Yes, I would certainly hope so, considering his field of expertise! I am sorry that you can't come; I'm sure it would have been great fun," Sonia smiled, turning to her right next. "What about you, Mister Tanaka?"

"Ha! I highly doubt that I could learn anything from the portly one, and even if his offer is generous, I have not had... positive experiences with cuisine in the past," Tanaka replied, shivering slightly at the memories of slimy curries and mushy rice that turned gritty upon consumption.

"But wouldn't having positive experiences now help you get over the bad ones?"

Tanaka thought for a few moments. "...Perhaps you are right, noble one. Pah, very well! I will _try_ this cooking course, and if I gain nothing from the experience, it will be the portly one's head that I shall serve on a platter as an offering to the Four Kings." Cham-P peeked out of his hiding place to let out a joyful squeak. "Ha, hear his battle cry! Even now, he is hungry for a blood sacrifice."

Sonia clapped. "Wonderful! Classes are about to start, however, so let us approach him about it at a later time."

About halfway through lunchtime that day, Sonia spotted Hanamura walking out of the kitchen, presumably taking a break from helping cook the massive amounts of food required to feed hundreds of teenagers. "There he is," Sonia said, nudging Tanaka slightly in the side. He flinched and started coughing on his food. "Shall we go ask?"

Tanaka cleared his throat, attempting to regain his composure, and nodded. The two stood up and walked over to the chef, who was likely making his way to the bathroom. Sonia waved him over. "Excuse me, Mister Hanamura, but could we have a moment of your time?"

He grinned, vaguely reminding Tanaka of a wolf about to devour a fresh carcass. "Yes, of course, princess! What do you need?"

"We are here to speak with you about the extracurricular course you are supposedly offering! When are you available to teach us?"

Hanamura's eyes widened, and his hand flew to his nose. "Ah... what? A threeway with a princess and Tall, Dark, and Handsome over there?"

"Yes, both of us would like to participate! We, too, require study breaks from time to time."

"Well, how could I refuse? Is around 8:00 tonight good for you both?"

"Could we do it around 7:00, perhaps? 8:00 is a bit late for dinner."

"D-_dinner?_ Oh, my..." Hanamura took a tissue out of his pocket, trying to control the flow out of his nose. "Y-yes, if you are so eager, then 7:00 it is! I'll make sure to tell my roommate so we have some privacy."

Sonia thought that this was a bit strange; did Hanamura have an oven and stove in his room? And did his roommate really not want to learn how to cook from a world-famous chef?

Tanaka, noticing her confusion, said, "Perhaps the cookhouse would be a more suitable location; the necessary supplies would likely be there."

Hanamura almost fainted. "In the _kitchen?_ I-I never expected you two to be so kinky! We... we could use the back room!" He had to pause for a few moments to catch his breath. "I wonder what kind of supplies you're talking about... oh, I can hardly wait! Yes, yes, I will see both of you very soon!" He scurried off, giggling to himself.

Tanaka frowned, watching the chef's retreating form. "Something is very... off about this arrangement."

Sonia nodded. "Yes, he was acting quite different than usual, wasn't he? Why would he want to hold private cooking courses in his room?"

The breeder gasped, coming to a sudden realization. "Perhaps... he is one of _us?_ A servant to the underworld, making sacrifices in his very own abode and cooking them to perfection to further please the spirits... but he appears so powerless and insignificant at first glance." He retrieved his hamsters from his scarf and held them close to his face. "Tell me, Dark Gods, does the portly one serve you and your brethren?"

San-D sniffed at Tanaka's nose and nuzzled against his cheek.

"The gods have spoken!" he bellowed. "Hanamura has an ulterior motive! To... what?"

Sonia blinked. "Hm? What is the matter, Mister Tanaka?"

Tanaka stared down at the hamsters cupped in his hands. Jum-P scratched his ear. "The message is too vague... I cannot decode it."

"Ah, what a shame," Sonia sighed. "But we shall simply have to keep our guard up! For now, let us return to our table."

"Indeed... Cham-P hungers yet again," Tanaka said, petting the chubby hamster with one finger. Cham-P squeaked and closed his eyes in bliss.

...

Souda narrowed his eyes at the strange group gathering on the other side of the cafeteria; Tanaka, Lady Sonia, and that creepy chef all talking together? Nothing good could come out of that. He snapped his fingers at Hinata to get his attention and pointed at the trio across the room.

Hinata glanced over, confused. "Yes, they're talking. And?"

"You don't think... they're talkin' about that 'course' Hanamura was offerin' earlier, do ya?"

The other boy started coughing on his food, and Nanami casually slapped his back, not taking her eyes off her game. "What? Souda, what kind of relationship do you think they have?"

"Hey, I got into an argument with Tanaka last night about Lady Sonia! He could be tryin' to step up his game to ward off the competition!" Souda snarled. "Well, fine, I'll just have to step it up, too!"

"Souda, no, whatever you're planning to do, just stop - "

"No! I'm gonna go up to that stupid chef's room after classes and ask him what the hell is goin' on!"

"You realize that midterms start this Monday, right? That's in two days. You're gonna be so screwed if you don't study."

"Hey, I studied for a good half hour last night!" Souda beamed, actually looking proud of himself.

Hinata sighed. "It's a start, I guess..."


	4. Chapter 4

That afternoon, Souda stormed up to Hanamura's room and pounded on the door. "One moment, please!" a voice called from inside. The mechanic shifted nervously from foot to foot until the door opened to reveal some kid in his class he had never paid much attention to.

"Ah, hello, Souda," the boy - Komaeda, was it? - said, smiling pleasantly. "Is there any way I can help you? I can't guarantee that I'll be of much use, but I can certainly try my best!"

"Um, okay, is Hanamura here?" Souda asked, raising an eyebrow at Komaeda's self-deprecating words.

"I'm sorry, he's not back yet; he's in charge of the cooking club after school, but he should be done in a little while."

Souda swore under his breath. At least with a club to attend, the chef wouldn't be doing anything funny yet, but one could never be sure. "Okay... did ya talk with him at all after lunch today? I think he might be up to somethin' and I need to know what!"

"Oh, we did talk for a few moments after class!" Komaeda said, eager to be of assistance. "He told me that he might only be back up for a little while after the club ended, and then he had to go to the kitchen."

"The kitchen? What for?"

"Sometimes he helps the cooks with dinner! I wish I could be as useful, but there's not much that you can do with luck." Komaeda paused, looking down in thought. His eyes snapped back up to Souda after a few moments. "If you'd like to wait in here to ask Hanamura any more questions, I'm sure he'll be back soon. I'd love to chat in the meantime, if you wouldn't mind!"

Souda put a hand to his chin, thinking it over; what else was he going to do, really? He couldn't study with so much on his mind, and a short break couldn't really hurt, even if Komaeda did seem a bit... off. The mechanic cleared his throat and nodded, and Komaeda cheerfully invited him inside the room. Upon taking a cursory glance around, Souda thought, _Man, I gotta ask that Hanamura where he got all these pictures... no, he's the enemy! I bet I can find sexier posters on my own, anyway._ He grinned absentmindedly.

Komaeda took a seat on his own bed and said, "Make yourself comfortable! The posters have always been a bit unsettling to me, but who am I to say how my roommate should decorate?"

Souda plopped onto the other bed, resting his elbows on his knees. The two sat there in silence for a few moments before he finally asked, "So why are ya always so quiet durin' class? I mean, there are lotsa weirdos in there, but I'd rather be friends with them than have no one at all, y'know?"

"I guess I've just... never wanted to interfere," Komaeda chuckled softly. "I feel a bit inferior around you all, to be honest. And haven't the most talented always been the most eccentric?"

"I guess you've got a point there," Souda mused. "Hanamura's pretty normal, though, other than the creepiness... and Hinata's definitely a real friend! He's a lot like some a' the guys at my old school that got along with everyone, but he does get pretty pissy sometimes."

"...Hinata?" Komaeda crinkled his nose a bit, as if saying just that name left a bitter taste in his mouth. "Of course he's the most normal of us, considering his lack of... anything noteworthy, really. I guess I can admire his dedication to this school and the hope it represents, but it's not as though his hard work is going to get him anywhere. Only the people born with natural talent can truly nurture it and become someone worthwhile! Everyone else is just a waste of time."

Souda glared, becoming uneasy at the gleam in Komaeda's eyes. "Hey, don't talk about Hinata that way! He's a good guy, and even if he's not super great at any one thing, he's smarter than I'll ever be and I'm sure that's worth somethin'."

The other boy held his hands up as if to ward off the tense atmosphere. "Ah, of course. I'm not trying to judge your choice of friends, just... starting my opinion. Not that it should be worth much to someone like you, anyway."

Souda huffed and stared down at the floor. "I can see why y'don't have many friends..."

Komaeda smiled calmly and nodded. "It gets a bit lonely, but I'm not here to make friends. I want you all to reach your full potential, and maybe even I can be useful to society if I graduate from here!"

"But this is high school! It's supposed'ta be the springtime of your life, when you're out makin' buds and gettin' girls and havin' good times that you'll remember when you're all old and wrinkly. Y'don't have to be all focused on work all the time." Souda paused. "...Wait, 'if'?"

"Mm, but it's important to look ahead to the future. I do understand wanting to have fun, but we only have three years here, and then you'll all go out into the world and fill it with your potential... that's why you should work hard now."

"If you're so focused on working, then how come you're not sure about graduatin' yourself?"

"Sometimes other things get in the way," Komaeda said, his smile twitching the slightest bit. It was back in place the next moment. "It's not important right now. I think if we blended our philosophies together, we'd have something great!"

"Well, mixin' work with fun is kinda what most people tell ya to do in the first place, and I'm fine with pretty much anythin' except schoolwork, y'know? But for some reason I can't focus when I'm tryin' to study or do homework."

"Yes, I used to know some people with that problem... there's not much for it. You just have to suck it up and do the work! That, or fail, and I'd hate to see you waste your talent like that."

"Hinata's been tellin' me pretty much the same thing..." Souda sighed and scratched at his scalp. "But hey, you're not such a bad guy yourself, Komaeda. Y'can sit with us at lunch sometime if ya want."

"Really?" Komaeda's face lit up. "Such a benevolent offer, especially to someone like me... I would love to, if I'm not bothering anyone!"

"Yeah, just don't start talkin' crap about Hinata again and you're good."

Komaeda chuckled softly. "I'll try to hold my tongue."

The two of them talked for a bit longer until Hanamura entered the room around 6:30, humming to himself. Souda snapped his head toward the door and started yelling almost immediately.

"Hanamura! I saw you talkin' with Lady Sonia and Tanaka today with this weird look on your face, and I know you're planning somethin'."

"Mhm, and so what if I am?" the chef responded. He was sporting biggest shitfaced grin Souda had ever seen. "It's not really any of your business what we're doing... unless you want to join, of course."

"Wh... _what?_ You're not doin' what I think you are, are ya?"

"I'm neither confirming nor denying," Hanamura sang, retrieving a heavy-looking bag of supplies from under his bed.

"Woah, woah, hey, what the hell is in there?" Souda jumped up and ran to the other side of the bed, trying to pry the bag away. However, it was tied shut too tightly for him to open it quickly enough, and Hanamura snatched it back.

"If you're going to try and stop us, then I can't tell you," he said, throwing the sack over his shoulder and making his way back to the door again. "I should be back in a few hours, Komaeda! Though who knows how long we'll take..."

"Okay, have fun!" Komaeda called back cheerfully. Souda whipped around to glare at him.

"Hey, don't encourage him! He's disgusting and he's about to defile Lady Sonia!" He sucked in some deep breaths, trying to chase away the dark spots in his vision, and turned around again. Hanamura was gone.

Souda rushed into the hallway, looking left and right, but the chef had disappeared. "What the hell? How can a short, fat guy carrying a giant sack move that fast?"

"People do crazy things when they're in love," Komaeda joked, lying upside-down on his bed and propping his feet against the headboard.

"God damn it," Souda seethed. "Y'said he was goin' to the kitchen, right? That doesn't make any sense! It's a terrible place to do... that, especially around dinnertime."

"It's not my place to judge others. Maybe he's into that sort of thing?"

"Ugh, gross, gross, gross!" Souda sprinted down the hallway without another word.

"Good luck," Komaeda said, smiling to himself.

...

Sonia and Tanaka met in the cafeteria precisely five minutes before the scheduled time. They both stood by the door to the kitchen, looking in through the small windows near the top.

"Are we permitted to enter while the cooking drones still slave at their fires?" Tanaka asked, ducking down before the head chef could see him.

"Perhaps if we say we have business with Mister Hanamura, they'll let us in the back room," Sonia mused, jumping up to catch a peek. She saw one woman glaring at her before she fell back down. "They do seem a bit grumpy, don't they?"

"Indeed. However, we needn't hesitate; we will simply state our business and be on our way." With that, Tanaka pushed the door open, directing the gazes of several chefs toward him and Sonia. He shifted subtly and cleared his throat. "We have come for the portly one! He is to instruct us in your ways of preparing sustenance, his techniques passed to him through generations of sacrifice and punishment, his - "

"Could you direct us to Mister Hanamura, please?" Sonia asked, noticing the glares of everyone who cared to listen to Tanaka's spiel. One tall man pointed to a wooden door on the left, and she briskly walked away, motioning for Tanaka to follow.

"Have fun, kids!" a deep voice called. A few others snickered.

"I am sure that we will!" Sonia responded cheerfully, not catching the malicious tone. She made her way to the door and reached for the handle.

"Halt!" Tanaka grabbed Sonia's arm, and she looked over at him, eyes widening. He flushed and snapped his hand back to his side. "I... I apologize, but I sense that something is amiss. You yourself said that we must be on guard. I shall place a protection spell around us and enter first."

"Oh, of course! I'm sorry, I was so excited to learn that I forgot..." Sonia backed away from the door and looked down, biting her lip.

"Enthusiasm is not a fault. We simply must be more cautious in the future." Tanaka clapped his hands together in front of him and began muttering in what sounded like Latin. After a few moments, he opened his eyes and sighed. "It will have to do. I am not currently in possession of my Staff of Immortal Power, but a crude spell should fend off someone like Hanamura."

"Amazing! That was hella awesome!" Sonia clapped. "Could you teach me how to do that at another time?"

"Hm. I suppose. For now..." Tanaka trailed off, setting his hand on the door. He turned the handle and launched himself into the room. "Hanamura! We have come to - wha... what?"

Sonia trailed in behind him and gasped. "Oh my, aren't all these candles a fire hazard back here?"

"What is that smell? Are you burning incense? Show yourself, portly one!"

"Down here," a voice purred. The two looked at the floor deeper into the room and noticed a small silhouette lying on its side.

"What is the meaning of this?" Tanaka demanded. Sonia could be heard groping for the light switch.

"Hey, I'm trying to make this as romantic as possible! You guys're ruining the atmosphere," the voice said. At that moment, the lights flicked on.

Sonia screamed. Tanaka screamed. Hanamura screamed. The Four Kings popped out of Tanaka's scarf and screamed.

Sonia turned the lights off.

After a stretch of petrified silence, she said, "I realize this is a cooking course, but perhaps wearing something under your apron would have been ideal."

"...Wait, you thought I was gonna teach you how to cook?"

"What else would you have been teaching?"

"The art of love, of course!"

"Disgusting," Tanaka spat. "How could you think... I-I cannot believe... were you offering this type of course to _everyone?_"

"Well, yeah, I was hoping someone would take up the offer, but I never expected that you two would!" Hanamura sighed. "I should've known it was too good to be true."

"Please clothe yourself," Sonia said, trying to keep her voice steady.

Another sigh was heard, along with the rustling of fabric. A few minutes later, Hanamura said, "You can turn the lights on now."

Tanaka put his hamsters back into his scarf just in case, and Sonia reluctantly flicked the light on. Much to their relief, Hanamura appeared fully clothed.

"Do you want me to deflate the air mattress?"

"Yes, I can't imagine we would need it."

Hanamura dejectedly pulled the plug from the plastic siding, and all three watched as it slowly sank into itself.

"...Well. Did you still want to learn how to cook?"

...

Souda skidded to a stop in front of Hinata's door and rested his hands on his knees. Running all the way to the reserve building made him feel like his throat had been rubbed with sandpaper, but he needed help. He rapped urgently on the door, and Hinata opened it a few moments later.

"Hey, Souda, what's wrong?" he asked, brows furrowing in concern.

"The..." Souda had to take a few moments to catch his breath. _Shit, I need to get in shape_, he lamented. "That stupid Hanamura's gonna defile Lady Sonia and Tanaka's gonna join in!"

"Do you know that for sure?"

"Yeah! He had this big sack of supplies... I don't even wanna think about what's in there, but he was sayin' all this gross stuff and Komaeda said they were gonna go in the kitchen and we gotta go stop them!"

"Why can't you just go stop them yourself? I mean, yeah, it's pretty weird, but if that's what they wanna do - which I still kinda doubt - then that's none of my business."

"I can't just bust into the kitchen and start lookin' for 'em! The lunch ladies would chop me up! And what if they're not even there, huh? I'd need someone to help me look."

"...It's actually kind of impressive that you thought of all that first," Hinata muttered, looking a bit surprised. "But still, I don't want to bust in on them _doing_ anything; that would be traumatizing."

"C'mon, please? I really can't stand the thought a' those two forcin' Lady Sonia into something..."

Hinata rubbed a hand over his eyes and sighed. "Fine. We're just going to find them, though; I'm not walking in on whatever they're doing."

"Awesome!" Souda grabbed Hinata's arm and started running to the exit of the building.

"Hey, let go!"

By the time Hinata had wrenched his hand free and the boys were halfway to the cafeteria, Souda had doubled over wheezing.

"It's... so hot," he gasped, falling to his knees, then onto his stomach, then rolling over to look at the sky.

"Could you be any more dramatic?" Hinata asked, hands on his hips.

"This suit is really warm, okay? And quit actin' so sassy. How much have you been hangin' around Koizumi lately?"

"That's not it! It's just a comfortable way to stand. And if you're so hot, why don't you take the suit off?"

"I can't move. Everything hurts."

"Well, I'm not taking it off for you."

Souda groaned loudly and sat up. "I wasn't askin' you to," he grumbled, fumbling with his zipper. He took the sleeves off and bunched the suit around his waist. "Whew, my armpits can breathe now!"

"That's great."

"Yeah, it's a big relief... hey, wait, you're distractin' me!" Souda jumped to his feet, ignoring Hinata's glare. "We gotta go find those three before they do somethin' funny!" He set off sprinting again, Hinata reluctantly trailing behind.

A few minutes later, the cafeteria doors slammed open, and every student turned their heads toward one Kazuichi Souda barreling into the room. He slowed to a stop and casually walked over to the kitchen entrance. Hinata quietly entered behind him and followed, keeping his head down and wondering why _this_ was what he was doing with his Saturday night.

Once he caught up to Souda, Hinata asked, "Okay, are you going in or what?"

"...Do y'think they're really in here?" Souda wondered, hopping in place to look through the window in the door. "I mean, there're a buncha people runnin' around; where would they find a private spot?"

"Maybe you just took everything that they said out of context and they're not doing anything funny at all?"

"Nah, Hanamura was actin' too suspicious for that." Souda put a hand to his chin, thinking for a moment. "Screw it, I'm goin' in." He pushed the doors open and grabbed Hinata again, forcing him into the kitchen.

"H-hey, these people look pretty busy... are you sure we should be in here?" Hinata protested, yanking his arm away.

"Lady Sonia's integrity is more important than the moods of some cafeteria workers!" Upon looking at said cafeteria workers, Souda saw many of them were glaring at the intruders. He shifted nervously and shoved Hinata forward. "Okay, tell 'em why we're here!"

"Why me?" Hinata grumbled. He cleared his throat, looked at the workers hesitantly, and said, "We're looking for Teruteru Hanamura. Is he here, by any chance?"

The chefs gave each other knowing glances and busted out laughing. One pointed to a room in the back.

"How many people is that kid gonna invite to his orgy?" another cook chuckled. Souda's eyes widened and his breath hitched.

"I knew it!" he screeched, tearing across the kitchen to the small door.

"Souda, wait!" Hinata ran after him and managed to catch his arm, but Souda continued trudging forward, dragging the other boy with him. "Stop! Don't actually go in, just knock on the door or something - "

Souda flung the door open, and the force of the door slamming into the wall deflated the soufflé in Hanamura's hands.

The small chef stared at the lump of chocolate, blinked slowly, and then threw it to the ground.

"That is it!" he screamed. "Y'know wha', I TRY ta'be nice an' ignore tha' fact tha' these two cheated me outta a grea' nigh' and THIS is what I get!"

"...What?" Souda looked around the small room. Sonia and Tanaka were both wearing aprons, eggshells and bits of chocolate covered the floor, and four hamsters on the counter were happily digging into one of the pantry's carrots.

"Ge'outta th' way!" Hanamura shoved Souda and Hinata aside and stormed out of the kitchen.

"Mister Hanamura, wait!" Sonia called. "I'm sure it still tastes good!"

"Leave him," Tanaka said. "The gods of wrath have taken a hold of his soul. There is no telling when he will recover."

Hinata stared at the scene for a moment longer and walked away.

...

The next day was spent in a flurry of studying. Souda cried a bit more than he was proud to admit. On Friday of the next week, when asked how his midterms went, he cried even more.


	5. Chapter 5

On Saturday morning, the day after midterms ended, Mioda burst into class and loudly proclaimed, "Guten morning, everyone! Ibuki has an announcement!"

"Oh, great," Kuzuryuu muttered from across the room. "Did you finally succeed in bursting your own eardrums with that godawful music?"

"Not yet! And Ibuki doesn't like your attitude. But anyway, the announcement is that, in celebration of midterms ending, Ibuki is going to give you all a concert tonight!" She hopped up and down, beaming at her classmates. No one said anything for a few moments.

"That is a wonderful idea!" Nidai roared. "We all must relax after testing; too much stress is bad for your health."

"Yes, exactly!" Mioda roared back. "See, Uncle Nidai likes it!"

"Big Sis Ibuki's music is the best!" Saionji added, sticking her tongue out at Kuzuryuu. He scoffed and looked down at his desk.

"I think... it would be fun," Tsumiki said, smiling slightly.

"Shut up, pig! No one asked for your opinion."

"B-but I was just agreeing with you!"

Souda cleared his throat. "I've never heard Mioda's music before. Is she any good?"

Saionji's enthusiastic "yes" clashed with Kuzuryuu's firm "no," and they both glared at each other.

Souda blinked. "Uh... well, whatever, I think it sounds fine! Could be fun."

"Yeah, I haven't been to a concert in a long time," Hinata said.

"Is anyone gonna bring food?" Owari asked around a mouthful of apple.

"I suppose I could whip up something," Hanamura said. "What does everyone want?"

"Oh, oh!" Owari spat chunks of fruit on Nidai with her exclamations. He calmly wiped them off his cheek. "Can you make pigs in a blanket?"

"Of course," Hanamura replied, grinning. "As payment, would you like to share a blanket with _me_ tonight?"

Saionji slapped him again.

Mioda laughed. "Okay, okay, is that a 'yes' from everyone who's not a huge party pooper?" She looked at Kuzuryuu and smiled. "Or should Ibuki say a _little_ party pooper?"

"Fuck off," he muttered.

"That was uncalled for, Mioda," Pekoyama chimed in. "Nonetheless, something to get everyone's minds off testing would be good."

"Ibuki is sorry," Mioda pouted. "But Ibuki takes it personally when people insult her music! Anyway, the concert will be at 8:00 in the auditorium, so donut miss it!" She flounced over to her seat and plopped into it, ending the announcement.

Souda grinned and turned to Hinata and Nanami. "A concert! This is gonna be awesome!"

"Do you think we should've paid attention to Kuzuryuu, though?" Hinata asked, suddenly looking doubtful. "He seemed really opposed to it."

"Nah, he's just a grumpy guy. He probably hates all music that isn't, like, Mozart or something."

...

The concert was horrific. Souda broke down crying within the first thirty seconds of Mioda's first song, and Kuzuryuu had exited the room before she could even start. Once the first song ended, everyone except Saionji was clutching their ears or otherwise in a state of shock.

Saionji herself, however, was cheering enthusiastically. "You're all wimps! You just can't appreciate Big Sis's unique style!"

"I don't know anyone who could appreciate that besides you, Saionji," Koizumi winced.

"What's the matter, guys? You all look like Ibuki just killed someone!" Mioda called from the stage.

"Yeah, you killed tolerable music everywhere," Kuzuryuu said, re-entering the room. "I told you idiots that this was a bad idea."

"Where have you even heard her music before, Kuzuryuu?" Koizumi asked, hands on hips. "Don't tell me you were spying on her singing in the shower or something!"

"What? No!" he sputtered, eyes widening. "Haven't any of you heard her singing in the hallways before? It's like a portal to hell opened in her throat."

Sonia shivered and cleared her throat. "Well, I think we can all agree that hearing another song would be... unpleasant. Is there anything else we can do?"

"I have a few ideas," Hanamura said, eyes sparkling. This time, Koizumi slapped him.

"Can we just stay here and eat?" Owari asked, cradling a mound of finger foods in her arms.

"I don't think I can eat for a while after that," Hinata muttered.

"Ibuki thinks there might be a karaoke machine somewhere," Mioda offered. "She's heard teachers using it in the staff room. It's very scary."

"Nothing could be as scary as... whatever you just sang," Souda said, still trying to regain his composure. "I say we bring it out!"

"A karaoke bar is the optimal setting for team bonding!" Nidai agreed.

"I've done karaoke a few times," Nanami said, smiling absently. "It's very fun."

Mioda looked around the room. Only Tanaka, Tsumiki, and Mister No Name seemed hesitant, so she skipped off stage to get things set up.

Souda nudged Hinata in the side. "Hey, do y'think that Lady Sonia would be impressed if I did a round?"

"I really can't imagine that your singing voice is that good," Hinata replied.

"Hey, I take pride in my voice! I bet it's nicer than yours, in fact! Wanna do a sing-off?"

"I'll pass."

"A duet?"

"No, thanks."

"Ugh, you're no fun!" Souda scowled. "I don't just wanna get up there by myself... that'd be embarrassing. Know anyone who's good at singin'?"

Hinata looked around the room. "Well, I think a lot of these guys would be pretty good, actually. Just go up to someone and ask."

"Hmm..." Souda glanced at each person in the auditorium. "Nanami has a really sweet voice. Y'think she'd be a good singer?"

"I... I guess, yeah," Hinata muttered, looking over to his left at nothing in particular.

"Hey, I was just sayin' what I thought, but I'll choose someone else if you're not cool with that."

"No, it's fine. Just don't make her sing anything stupid, alright?"

"Yeah, you got it! You can come and ask too if y'want." Souda went over to Nanami, who had started playing her game again while waiting for Mioda. Hinata followed a few moments later.

"Hey, Nanami," the latter said, and then waited for her predictably delayed response.

"..."

"..." Both boys shifted slightly.

"...Hello, Hinata and Souda."

"Yeah, hey, so once the karaoke's set up and all, do y'wanna do a few rounds with us?" Souda asked. "We could even sing as a threesome or somethin'! It'd be awesome."

"Please don't word it like that," Hinata grimaced.

"..." A triumphant jingle sounded from Nanami's console as she finished a level. "Yes, that sounds good."

"Sweet!" Souda cheered. Hinata's frown relaxed. "Got any songs in particular that we could sing?"

"Not really. Whatever you guys want is fine with me."

While Souda was contemplating which tune would be best, Komaeda sidled up to the trio. "Hello, everyone," he smiled. "I hope I'm not interrupting anything?"

"Nah, we're just talkin' about karaoke. Do you wanna sing with anyone here?" Souda asked.

"Hm, I'm not sure if my voice is exactly up to par with all of yours... and I get breathless quite easily. I'd be content to watch you all have fun, though."

"Alright, just tell us if you change your mind."

After a few more minutes of hanging around, Mioda finally arrived, dragging a bulky machine on wheels with her. "You guys don't wanna know what Ibuki had to go through to get this for you! She was like a noble hero on a quest for music, bravely going where no student had gone before, to get the treasure from the clutches of the mean, evil - "

"Okay, are you gonna hook it up or what?" Kuzuryuu interjected.

She huffed. "Fine! I didn't know you were so excited to sing, Mister I-Hate-Everything."

"I'm not even going to bother responding to that pathetic excuse for a dig at me."

"You just did!" Mioda stuck her tongue out and headed behind the machine to hook up the wires. Once everything was set up, she called out, "Okay, should Ibuki do the first round?"

Almost everyone boo'ed her off stage.

"You're all so mean," Saionji sniffled.

"Aren't they?" Mioda pouted back.

"Hey, anyway, me n' Nanami'll go first!" Souda volunteered, waving a hand in front of Nanami's face to get her attention. "C'mon, we're up!"

Souda did three rounds in a row, one with Nanami and two with her and Hinata. The latter really sounded like a woman when he sang; Souda tried making a few digs about it but was mostly ignored. After the third song, he tossed the microphone to Hinata, who fumbled slightly before catching it, and stepped offstage. "I'm gonna take a break, guys," he said over his shoulder, making his way over to the table someone had set up with food and drinks. He approached Sonia, who was talking with Tanaka, and waved rapidly to get her attention. "Hey, Lady Sonia! Did y'see me up there?"

"Of course," she said, smiling politely. "I'm quite impressed with all of your voices! They fit together very nicely."

"Heh, thanks. It's pretty bold that I was the first one up there, huh?"

"Yes, I suppose. I certainly would like to try karaoke at least once, but you three seemed to be having so much fun that I didn't want to interrupt!"

Souda scratched at his face, mentally bashing himself for hogging the stage. "Ah, geez, I'm sorry! Didn't mean to get carried away... I'm sure there'll be an opening soon. I'll kick 'em off if you want."

"No, that's quite alright! They're so adorable when they sing together," Sonia beamed, looking up at the stage where Hinata and Nanami were performing a duet. "Look, Mister Hinata is executing a maneuver known as the 'air guitar!'" She cheerfully imitated him, throwing in a headbang.

_Holy shit, how can one person be so cute?_ Souda wondered. Judging by the bewildered but somewhat happy expression on Tanaka's face, he was thinking the same thing. Which was not okay in Souda's book.

"Yeah, so when they're done, do y'wanna sing with me?" he asked, glaring at Tanaka for a moment.

"That would be radical! Perhaps Mister Tanaka would like to join so we could all sing together like you three just were," Sonia said, patting her hair back in place.

Tanaka glared back at Souda and said, "I am loathe to disappoint you, Lady Sonia, but any melodious incantations coming from me would curse all weak-minded beings within a ten kilometer radius. I must decline."

"There is no need to be self-conscious about your singing voice! We must 'seize the daisy,' as they say!" She linked an arm around Tanaka's and walked toward the stage. Souda glowered at Tanaka's retreating form, feeling more and more like a third wheel, and stomped over to them. Onstage, Saionji was currently singing a song with Koizumi that sounded surprisingly intense. Souda forget his anger for a moment and blinked at the duo. _I guess all that anger Koizumi has is good for somethin',_ he thought, noticing how into the music she seemed.

After Saionji hopped offstage, dragging her friend with her, Sonia turned to Tanaka and Souda and smiled. "Shall we go next?"

Tanaka cleared his throat. "I feel an ill omen. Perhaps I should - "

"Please, Mister Tanaka? It'll be fun, I promise!"

He looked at her practically jumping onstage with excitement and sighed. "Very well. If it means that much to you, Lady Sonia, then I suppose..."

"Hey, shut up and get on the damn stage," Souda said. He was met with one scathing glare from Tanaka and a disapproving look from Sonia.

"There is no need to be so rude!" the latter scolded. "Can you two get along for just one song or do I have to kick you out, Mister Souda?"

"N-no, I'll be good!" he stuttered, feeling like a scolded child.

"Wonderful! Let us go, then." Sonia skipped up the stairs, the two boys following behind her and still glaring at each other.

The song started off well at first, but then Souda bumped into Tanaka by accident and was bit by a hamster in response. Their bickering escalated until Souda, covered in small scratches, had pushed the breeder offstage, and Sonia gave both boys a lecture that no one would soon forget.

In the audience, Hinata almost left the room due to secondhand embarrassment. "That was a complete trainwreck. I can't believe they kept singing the entire time."

Nanami nodded slowly. "It was amazing how Souda hit that high note when Sonia kicked him there."

Hinata winced, legs buckling slightly. "Don't remind me."

...

After emerging from the bathroom in considerably less pain than he had entered, Souda looked around the auditorium to see that Koizumi had set up a booth of some sort and was taking photos.

He also noticed that Sonia had dragged Tanaka into the line for it.

Seething, he stomped over to the photographer and tapped her on the shoulder. "Hey, what's the point of th-"

"Don't you dare talk to me right now," Koizumi responded, sounding distracted but still deadly while she adjusted her camera lens.

Mioda shifted in her chair, singing to herself in a throaty whisper. Kuzuryuu had been right; it was terrifying. Souda noticed that she was sitting next to that guy who changed appearances every day and acted like he was better than everyone else. Whatever. To each his own... as long as it wasn't Princess Sonia.

Looking over to see that the young lady in question and Tanaka were next in line, Souda threw the latter another sneer and turned back to the booth before Sonia could notice and reprimand him again. He leaned in closer to Koizumi and muttered, "Listen, I'll pay you good money if you agree not to take the photo of the next two people in line."

"Get the hell away from me, you pig," she said, casually jabbing him in the stomach with an elbow before setting her finger upon the top button of the camera. "Okay, smile!"

Mioda threw her arm around the swindler, grinning cheekily and throwing up a peace sign. He offered a small smile himself that looked a bit less smug than normal, and the camera flashed. Souda gripped both hands over his bruising abdomen while he waited for the two to be done with their photo reel.

After a few minutes, Koizumi set the developing photos onto a table where several other black squares were resting. "I'll get them to you by the end of the night, guys."

"Thank you, merci, gracias!" Mioda trilled, grabbing her victim's hand and hoisting them both to their feet. "C'mon, Porkfeet, we've got more singing to do!" She dragged him off to where everyone else had gathered, though Souda noted that he didn't seem as reluctant as someone about to sing with Ibuki should be.

_Okay, whatever. Not my main concern right now,_ the mechanic reminded himself. He glared at Tanaka, who was now sitting next to Sonia and flushing. The breeder glared back, though not as maliciously as he had earlier in the evening.

"Okay, Koizumi, I'll pay you everything I have, just don't - "

"How about you don't tell me what to do?" Koizumi retorted, setting her camera in her lap and turning her head to give a fiercer glare than Souda could ever muster. "All I'm doing is taking photos of people being happy, and if you have a problem with that, you're even more disgusting than I thought."

"Uh, well, no, that's not what I meant..." Souda lowered his voice to a whisper. "I want 'em to be happy, just not _together,_ y'know?"

"I don't care," Koizumi hissed back. "It's happening whether you like it or not, so I suggest you stop being so gross about it."

The two were locked in a glaring match for a few moments before Souda relented and stood back up, muttering angrily to himself. He scowled at Tanaka while he took photos with Sonia, but neither really seemed to notice.

"Can you two scoot in a bit closer?" Koizumi asked, camera glued to her eye. Sonia complied cheerfully, and Souda threw his hands up in the air and sulked away. He could hear Koizumi muttering, "Good riddance," which only served to deepen the snarl on his lips.

_I didn't want to have to do this,_ he thought grimly. _But I have no choice. It's time to pull out all the stops._ He marched over to where most of the students were gathered and called out, "Hey, anyone know that pop song Valentine Day Kiss?"

He noticed Pekoyama giving Kuzuryuu a quick look from the corner of her eyes. He ignored it, but Mioda smiled and said, "Oh, does our little gangster like bubbly pop songs after all?"

Kuzuryuu groaned. "God damn it, Peko."

Her stone mask cracked slightly into a frown. "My apologies, young master."

"It's nothing to be ashamed of!" Mioda cheered. "Ibuki doesn't judge. She thinks it's kind of endearing, actually!"

"Shut up. And Souda, if you're going to ask me to sing with you, then the answer is hell no," Kuzuryuu said, scowling.

"Come over here with me for a second," Souda said, moving to snatch Kuzuryuu's arm. He was met with Pekoyama's fist. "Ow! Hey, I wasn't gonna hurt him or nothin'."

"No one is permitted to touch a member of the Kuzuryuu family without advance permission," Pekoyama responded, her red eyes staring into Souda. He shifted backwards.

"Peko, don't make a big deal out of it," Kuzuryuu muttered, looking at the ground. "...I'll give you two minutes, Souda."

"Sweet! Over here," he said, pointing to a quiet corner. They walked away from the group, and once they were far away enough, Souda began trying to convince the gangster. "Okay, um... I actually didn't expect that you of all people would be the only one to know that song, but whatever."

"You're not off to a good start," Kuzuryuu said, glare firmly in place.

"I'm gettin' there! Look, I wanna impress Sonia and get her away from that creep Tanaka, right? And you wanna impress Pekoyama, right? So - "

"Hold the fuck up," he seethed. "My relationship with Peko is _nothing_ like what you might think it is, you hormone-addled piece of shit. I don't want to come up with some dumbass plan to make her fall for me because she wouldn't do that, and I don't want her to."

"But you guys are together so often! It's obvious - "

"No. Stop talking. Believe it or not, there are ways that people can be in relationships and care about each other without them being romantic about it at all."

"Okay, okay, geez," Souda said, holding his hands up defensively. "Can you just do this as a favor to me, then?"

"A favor? Why the fuck would I want to..." Kuzuryuu trailed off, thought for a moment, and grinned. Souda suddenly felt apprehensive. "Okay, Souda. I'll sing your stupid song with you. But you owe me, and I'm allowed to redeem my favor anytime I want. Deal?"

Souda stared at the small hand that was thrust out in front of him. He knew that making deals with the mafia was a bad idea - actually, probably one of the worst ideas ever - but what was the worst a high school student could do, really? His favor would probably be getting an object from a tall shelf or giving out piggyback rides or something. Souda shrugged and shook the gangster's hand.

"Alright, let's get this over with." Kuzuryuu walked up to the stairs and waited for Nidai and Owari to stop with whatever song they were in the middle of - it sounded a bit like a hero's ballad or something - before climbing up to the stage. Souda followed close behind. Both boys chose the song and took a microphone.

Their voices blended so well together that soon every student from their class was listening with rapt attention. In the audience, Sonia jumped excitedly in place, not noticing how Souda's eyes flicked to her on every "I love you."

"Aren't they wonderful, Mister Tanaka?" she asked, looking up at the man in question and flashing a smile.

"Though they act like demons, they have the voices of cherubs," Tanaka responded, staring bemusedly at Kuzuryuu and Souda singing back-to-back onstage. He then noticed Sonia's beaming smile and retreated into his scarf.

"Yes, and I'm glad that Mister Souda finally found someone else to be 'bros' with! His behavior has been worrying me lately," Sonia said, putting a hand to her chin.

"He has never been the agreeable sort," Tanaka muttered. "But his actions as of late are especially disruptive."

"You two have always beaten the odds, have you not?"

"I believe the expression is that we have been at odds... and yes, I suppose. Ever since setting foot into my temporary abode, he refuses to act in a civil manner. He has completely disregarded the respect that I warned he should have for someone of my stature, lest he face the gods' wrath!" Tanaka's hamsters squeaked inside his muffler, sensing their owner's aggravation. "Hear how they roar! See how they quake with rage at the insolent one's actions! Ha, it shall not be long before he faces a just punishment..." Tanaka glanced at Sonia, remembering her lecture from earlier. "...Or perhaps he already has."

"Ah, nonsense, that was nothing! The two of you were bickering like children, and I had to do something, yes?"

"No, it was... a fearsome spectacle to behold." Tanaka broke eye contact, swallowing nervously. "You have my respect."

Sonia clasped her hands at her chest and smiled adoringly at Tanaka, who still wouldn't look at her. "I am incredibly honored to hear that!"

"Y-yes, well... as you should be!" The breeder tilted his head toward the heavens, breaking into a shaky bought of laughter. "Very few on this earthly plane have won my trust. It is quite reasonable that you would bask in the glory of this moment!"

On impulse, Sonia grabbed Tanaka's chin and softly tilted his head downwards. She looked into his eyes, which had widened considerably, and giggled to herself.

"What are you doing?" Tanaka asked, flinching away only slightly.

Sonia abruptly released her hold, back up a few steps. "Ah, I apologize! You simply looked so happy, and it is such a rare occurrence that I wished to see your face. I hope I have not overstepped our boundaries."

"N-no, it..." Tanaka folded his arms across his chest. "It is fine, princess."

"Hey, guys!" Looking very aware of what had just transpired, Souda warily walked over to where Sonia and Tanaka were standing. Ignoring the latter altogether, he asked, "So, Lady Sonia, y'saw me, right? Right? I was good, right?"

"Yes, yes," Sonia responded, fidgeting in place. "You and Mister Kuzuryuu sing quite well together."

"Yeah, he ain't half bad," Souda dismissed, waving his hand. "But I was the real star of the show! His singin' is a little... funky."

"I enjoyed both interpretations of the song." Sonia sighed, delicately running a hand over her eyes. "Nonetheless, it is getting quite late. Perhaps I should retire."

"Oh, already? Can't you stay for a lil' longer?" Souda pouted. "I'll sing some more for ya!"

"No, I must leave early tomorrow for Novoselic. It is best that I get some sleep now."

"What? You're leavin' for the whole winter break?"

"Yes, I believe most everyone is." Sonia looked at Tanaka again, brightening a bit. "Are you going anywhere for the week, Mister Tanaka?"

"Indeed. I must travel overseas to investigate the state of a previously endangered species; I pray the gods have not chosen to end its reign on this planet just yet."

"Fascinating! You'll have to tell me all about it when you return," Sonia replied, smiling.

"Yeah, well, g'night, Lady Sonia!" Souda stepped in, glaring at Tanaka and stooping to plant a kiss on Sonia's hand. "Have a good break, yeah? I'll miss ya."

"...Yes. I hope you enjoy the holiday respite, as well." The princess cradled her hand defensively to her chest while Souda walked away. She sighed. "Well, Mister Tanaka, have a lovely evening! I, too, hope that all endangered species are well. I will see you when we both return."

Tanaka nodded. "I will pray for your safety on your trip. Have a restful sleep."

Sonia nodded back, gaze lingering on Tanaka for a few moments, and then waved as she turned and walked away. "You have a safe trip as well, Mister Tanaka! Farewell."

"Farewell," Tanaka sighed as Sonia walked away, taking his chattering hamsters from his scarf. He listened to them, eyes widening. "N-no, Dark Gods, do not say such things... I will be too busy to miss her. A week is but the blink of an eye in the immortal life of Gundam Tanaka, and we will soon be back here." Cham-P whined. "Do not despair. You will all see her in time."

The Four Kings were tucked back in place, and Tanaka spent the rest of the night in the corner of the auditorium, watching everyone else perform and feeling unusually lonely.


	6. Chapter 6

The next morning, Souda awoke to the sound of Tanaka shuffling around and putting things into a suitcase. The mechanic groaned and rolled over onto his stomach, burying his head underneath his pillow to muffle the noise.

"Cease with the theatrics, pitiful one. I will depart shortly, and then you may sleep like a sloth if you wish. Though I doubt most humans could manage escaping the painful world of consciousness for twenty-one hours a day, I am sure you are the exception."

Souda groaned again.

"Precisely."

Tanaka spent a few more moments packing up his supplies and exited without another word.

"So long, asshole," Souda muttered, head re-emerging from underneath his pillow. He then fell asleep for another six hours.

When he awoke around noon, Souda sat up, rubbed his eyes, and swung his legs out of bed to go get breakfast - or lunch, as it were. He didn't intend to go back home for the break; he'd just made a bunch of excuses to his parents about having a big project to work on, which was partially true. He'd been giving Chubs some new features lately and had grown pretty attached to the little ferret; at least robots didn't criticize or yell at him, and they were easier to deal with than people most of the time.

Padding down to the cafeteria, Souda opened the doors and saw less than half the usual amount of students sitting around at different tables; it seemed that everyone had wanted to get off school grounds as quickly as possible. However, from his class, Souda saw Tsumiki, Nanami, Komaeda, and Mister No Name sitting at a table together, so he got his lunch and joined them, offering a sleepy wave.

Komaeda was the first to respond, returning the wave with one of his own and a smile. "Good afternoon, Souda. How are you today?"

"Eh, I'm alright. Just glad that we finally get a break."

Tsumiki nodded slightly, taking a pause before she spoke. "Yes, even though I'm still on call, I'm sure that all of you will have a chance to relax."

"You have to work all week? Man, that sucks," Souda slurred around a mouthful of half-chewed food.

"Please wait to finish chewing before you speak," the swindler said, wrinkling his nose slightly.

"Hey, m'still half-asleep, so don't expect any classy dining etiquette here," Souda retorted, sticking out his tongue with bits of food still clinging to it.

Nanami, also looking as though she'd just woken up, peered at the mechanic through her droopy eyelids. "So you're not going anywhere for the break, Souda?"

"Nah, my dad's a huge pain in the ass. I don't really wanna see'im."

Nanami looked as though she wanted to press the matter more, but decided not to say anything. Silence descended over the table before Souda broke it with, "Hey, it's not a big deal or anythin'. I'm sure all of you have been through some shit too, right?"

Everyone nodded in some way or another, and though Komaeda's smile stayed in place, his eyebrows crinkled slightly.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Souda said, "Yeah, so let's talk about somethin' else. If none of you guys are doin' anything, do y'wanna plan a day trip or somethin'? I don't really have that much to work on, and I know m'gonna get bored staying cooped in this school all week."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," the swindler said, getting up from the bench. "You may all discuss it while I go get another plate."

"Yeah, sure," Souda muttered sourly. "So what sounds good to you guys? It's probably gonna be cold, but we could walk around the city or go see a movie or whatever."

"Whatever everyone else wants to do is fine with me," Komaeda said, sipping at his water.

"Same here," Nanami mumbled.

"I-I don't know if I can go," Tsumiki said, lower lip wobbling. "I'm sorry to ruin your fun, but I never know when they might need my help in the infirmary..."

Souda sighed and rested his chin in his hands. "You guys aren't very helpful." He cut off Tsumiki's next apology with, "No, it's fine, but really, have y'seen how few people there are here? It ain't likely that anyone's gonna get hurt anytime soon, and if they do, you can just carry your phone with you so you can go back if y'need. Y'shouldn't have to work over break; that's bullshit!"

Tsumiki looked down at the table and fiddled with the bandages on her arm. "B-but... the nurses will all resent me if they see me slacking off. I mean, they probably already do hate me, but they will even more if -"

"Tsumiki," Nanami interjected, "everyone needs a break now and then. Please don't overwork yourself just to make others happy; I'm sure they'll understand if you take a day off." She paused, blinking slowly. "I think they will, at least."

"Yeah, what she said! So just chill with us for the day; we can be like the..." Souda looked up into the air, trying to think of a catchy name for the group. "The Winter Misfits or somethin'!"

"Souda, with all due respect, that's kind of an insulting name," Komaeda said. "I know I may not fit in with everyone else, but you four certainly don't deserve to be called misfits."

"No," Tsumiki said, "I'm the one who doesn't deserve to be here! A-all I'm good for is helping others, and I can't even do that right."

"Hey, we're not havin' a self-hatred contest here!" Souda snarled. "Can we just agree that we're all losers and go do somethin'?"

"I resent being called a loser," Nanami protested. "I have yet to lose any game I've played, with a few exceptions being the types of games that you can't lose but that can end with you getting slaughtered by a yandere-type personality."

Souda let out an exasperated groan for the umpteenth time that day.

...

The five students who didn't travel for winter break ended up making plans to go out on the night before New Year's day to talk by the ocean and watch the last sunset of the year; Souda asked Hinata if he wanted to go with them, considering how close by he lived, but he said that he had other plans with his family. It was disappointing that neither Souda's soul friend nor his princess would be there, but he could deal with it. It had always been one of his dreams to go out with a group of friends at night, just enjoying life and youth, and even if the friends going with him were a bit strange, he was still excited to go do something that would usually be in the scene of a coming-of-age movie or something.

On New Year's Eve, a few hours before sunset, Souda made his way down to the cafeteria, where everyone had agreed to eat dinner and then walk down to the ocean together. Nanami sat at their usual table, looking as though she had been sitting there absorbed in her game for quite a while. Souda took a seat across from her and waited for her concentration to break.

He continued waiting for about two minutes before he gave up and went to get a drink from the vending machine. As he arrived back at the table, Nanami's portable console began to emit what sounded like gunshots accompanied by monsters roaring.

Souda paused in a squat and plopped down onto the bench a moment later. "Uh, hey, Nanami, what kinda game're ya playin' there?"

She didn't respond until one final gunshot was followed by the loudest roar so far, and then the game went quiet. "The 3rd Birthday. Not quite as good as the first two Parasite Eve games, but I like it enough so far. I don't approve of how Aya Brea has been sexualized, though."

Souda blinked. "... Uh, cool."

They sat in silence for a while until the cafeteria doors opened to reveal Hinata, much to Souda's confusion and elation. He hopped up and ran over to the entrance before Hinata could even walk over to their table.

"Hinata!" the mechanic exclaimed, throwing his arms around his friend. "I thought ya weren't comin'!"

Hinata awkwardly patted Souda's back once before backing away. "Hinata is still not coming. I simply felt like masquerading as someone... average today."

Souda frowned, gears in his head turning, and pointed accusingly at the swindler. "Hey, that's not cool! Don't get my hopes up like that. It's kinda creepy when you act like people we know; why can't ya just dress up as yourself?"

"I can't."

"You _can't?_"

"I can't."

Souda groaned and tore at his hair. "Okay, whatever, just sit your ass down and wait until the others get here." Looking out the window, Souda added, "Oh, wait, there they are." He waved both arms in the air frantically, and Komaeda offered a cheerful wave back. Tsumiki looked confused and twiddled her fingers slightly. Upon entering the cafeteria through the doors, the four students went to join Nanami, who had finally put her game away. She smiled at the group approaching her.

"Should we all get dinner, then? I heard the chefs made something special for the holidays," she said. "It might just be a rumor, though."

"It does smell a little less awful than usual in here," Souda noted, sniffing loudly for effect.

"I'm surprised the cooks are even working when there are so few students here," Komaeda said. "They must be very dedicated to their jobs!"

"Or they just want more money," Souda shrugged. "Anyways, whatever! Let's go eat; I'm starvin'."

After dinner, which included traditional foods like soba and mochi soup, the group bundled up and headed out of the cafeteria. It was about an hour's walk to the beach, and though they had to stop for Komaeda occasionally, they still made good time and arrived at their destination when the sun was well into its descent, appearing to be about halfway swallowed by the ocean. Nanami set down the large blanket she brought for them all, and everyone settled down, some already looking a bit sleepy.

"Hey, guys, look alive!" Souda said, plopping down between Nanami and Komaeda on the ground. "We're gonna pull an all-nighter here, or somethin' close to it, so we gotta wake up!"

Nanami yawned. "Could I just take a nap first and then stay up with you all?"

"Hey, we're not gonna take a communal nap; that's inappropriate," Souda scolded. "There're probably some coffee shops around somewhere..."

"I could go for a nap right about now," Komaeda said, curling into himself and looking out at the water with droopy eyelids.

"Ugh, you guys are lame! I've pulled lotsa all-nighters workin' on stuff, so maybe I'm just used to it, but still! We're young and at our prime, so I don't wanna hear about anyone gettin' tired," Souda said, waving a hand rapidly in front of Komaeda's face.

Tsumiki cleared her throat quietly. "W-well, I've gotten used to staying up late for my job, but it might be good for everyone if we got some rest right now... you could set an alarm or something, maybe? It's ideal to get seven or more hours of sleep a night, so a nap couldn't hurt." As if realizing that she forgot some meek facet of her personality, she added, "Th-that is, if it's okay! I don't mean to impose or tell anyone what to do..."

Souda waved off her concerns with a flick of his hand. "Meh, fine. It's only around 9:00 now, so I'll just wake up anyone who falls asleep in a few hours. I'm all hyped up on caffeine right now anyway."

Komaeda buried himself deeper into his hoodie, shaking slightly. "Did anyone bring an extra blanket?"

Nanami jolted out of her reverie, nodded, and took out a large piece of fuzzy-looking fabric from her backpack. "Here, Komaeda." He took the blanket with a smile of gratitude, wrapped it around himself, and lied down on the larger blanket everyone was sharing.

"I'll see you all in a few hours, then," he said, snuggling deeper between the warm layers of fabric and closing his eyes peacefully. Nanami, still sitting up, also closed her eyes and eventually fell onto Tsumiki's shoulder, breathing evenly and deeply. The nurse seemed a bit flustered but didn't try to move away for fear of waking Nanami.

"What about you guys?" Souda asked, whispering rather gratingly. "Please tell me at least one of you is staying up."

The swindler and Tsumiki both nodded. "I don't feel that tired yet," the former said. He nonetheless rubbed at one of his eyes, though that may have been due to the glare of the setting sun.

Souda propped both of his hands behind him, looking up at the scarce amount of stars emerging. "Well, we've got a while, so..." He paused as he struggled to think of what to say. Usually teenagers in the movies would talk about their deepest secrets in moments like these, but the person he felt closest to of the four was Nanami, who was currently sleeping. Still, it couldn't hurt to get to know the other two better, at least. He tilted his head back downwards and looked at the swindler. "Hey, I've got a question. All the girls've been comin' up with these ridiculous nicknames for ya, but I've never heard you say your real name even once. Do you even have one?"

The man in question smirked. "That was a bit rudely phrased, wasn't it? Still, I don't mind telling you that I don't know my real name. Anything you wish to call me is fine."

"Seriously? You don't even have a birth certificate or anything?"

"Not that I could find; as far as I know, I have no family to ask about myself, so I must take others' identities in order to even exist. I know you find it 'creepy,' but there is nothing else I can do."

Souda bit at a fingernail, deep in thought. "Man, that sucks," he said softly. "What do you even look like when you're not imitating someone?"

The swindler contemplated this for a few moments, trying to find the right words. Eyes shut in confusion, he finally said, "A blank slate, I suppose. I'm very... plain, to the point where it just makes imitating others that much easier." He shrugged. "I don't much like how I look in my default state."

Tsumiki shifted a bit, trying not to shake Nanami too much. "Have you been doing this all your life?" she asked quietly.

"I went a few years from orphanage to orphanage, but one day, I saw a missing child report, and I wondered what it was like..." he paused, as if not sure to continue. "What it was like to have parents that were worried about you. I don't remember many of the details, but I lived with that family for a few years under the guise of their child until he was found a few years later." He chuckled bitterly. "Imagine their shock upon finding I was a fake, no one of importance to them. I suppose that's how I started this whole business; the happiness of just having a family to love me, even if they weren't actually _mine,_ was too addicting for me to admit the truth until it was too late."

Souda and Tsumiki both looked down at the ground, shocked. "... Wow," the mechanic muttered. "I mean, my dad's a complete asshole, but at least I know who he is, I guess. Still, you're lucky in the sense that you haven't had to put up with that kinda crap; your parents might've been abusive jerks, y'know?"

"I don't think I'll ever know," the swindler said calmly, resting his chin in his palm. "It's no use comparing our suffering and determining who had it better or worse; I believe almost everyone going to this school has had more painful experiences than the average person." He looked up at the other two students. "Well, you've heard part of my story, so it's only fair that I hear some of yours, right?"

Souda nodded. "Yeah, no problem. Was that your first time tellin' anyone about your past?"

The swindler smirked a bit. "I did tell Hinata a little while ago... he's a very understanding sort of person."

"H-huh?" Souda asked, taken aback. "But... Hinata's _my_ friend! I'm supposed t'be the only one sharin' secrets with him!"

"U-um," Tsumiki muttered, "I've also told Hinata a bit about my childhood..."

Souda sighed. "Man, that guy really gets around... okay, not important right now. Anyway, I guess my childhood wasn't that great; I come from a pretty poor family, my dad's a dickhole to me and my mom and pretty much everyone, and all the kids at school always picked on me for the way I look. I never really had any friends when I was a kid, which seems to be the case with pretty much everyone who goes to our school, and I guess I just kinda... ignored all my problems by workin' in my family's bike shop all the time." He shrugged. "I got better at tinkerin' with stuff after a while and here I am now! That's the short version, anyway; I don't wanna bitch about myself for too long."

Tsumiki looked around nervously. "Is it my turn, then? I-I was bullied, too... for many years and in a lot of different ways. People put their cigarettes out on me a-and made me do... humiliating things... and it just never ended, but as long as I could make them laugh, I guess I thought..." she paused, sniffling, "I thought they'd accept me and that they wouldn't hate me. I don't think they ever did, though. As more injuries piled up, I got better at treating them and learned that I liked caring for others, too, s-so... that's about it." She folded her legs beneath herself and looked pointedly down at the blanket, plucking at a loose thread. "Everyone here has been much kinder to me, a-and I'm not really used to it, but Sonia has especially been helping me, even if I don't deserve it."

Souda's face lit up at the mention of Sonia. "Ah, isn't she such an angel?" he sighed. "Helpin' people outta the goodness of her heart like that... she really couldn't be more perfect. I wish she was here."

"Idolizing people is dangerous," the swindler warned. "Remember that we're all human. Nonetheless, I'm very sorry that the two of you have been through so much; I'm sure the other two would have some stories to tell us, as well, if they were awake."

"Yeah, Tsumiki, it sounds like you might've had it even worse than me!" Souda said, turning his head toward the nurse. "I mean, people picked on me and pushed me around, but... it sounds like what you had to go through was even more than that."

Tsumiki bit her lip. "It's all in the past now anyway. I-it's nothing to make a big fuss about..."

"No, I really think it is! You haven't done anything wrong, okay? Y'seem like a perfectly decent person and it really sucks that you had to go through all that shit. If you two ever need someone to talk to, I'm here, a'ight? Though I guess we all have Hinata, too," Souda smirked.

The nurse looked up abruptly. "I-I... thank you so much!" Her wide eyes began misting over, and she bit down hard on the inside of her cheek to steady her trembling mouth. "E-everyone here is so nice..."

"He's right, though," the swindler muttered. "We've all been through so much, and it's important to be there for one another. I will also listen to any concerns you have at any point."

The three students looked at one another, smiling and coming to a silent, mutual understanding and trust. This moment was interrupted by a loud yawn from Nanami, who slowly removed herself from Tsumiki's shoulder and stretched her arms upward.

Souda chuckled. "Have a nice nap?"

The gamer nodded sluggishly, rubbing at her eyes. "Yes, I do feel a bit better now. How long was I asleep?"

Souda checked his watch. "Only about half an hour. We've still got a while before midnight." He looked down at Komaeda, whose eyes were still shut tight. "We'll let'im sleep for a bit longer, I guess."

Nanami nodded. "I brought noisemakers in case we need to wake him up."

"Geez, don't give the guy a heart attack!"

She smiled. 'I'm just kidding. So do you guys have any plans for the new year?"

Souda pounded on his chest with one fist. "Yeah, I'm gonna get Sonia to date me!"

The swindler sighed. "Good to see that you have your priorities straight. As for myself, I believe I'll just continue to do my best in my studies and... perhaps try to figure out a bit more about myself, if possible."

"We all support you completely," Nanami said, smile still in place. "I think I'd like to replay the Final Fantasy series again this year... one or two games a month should do it. And I've got another goal in mind, but I don't really want to say anything yet."

Souda elbowed the gamer gently. "C'mon, we all know it's about Hinata!"

She rubbed her side indignantly and said, "I said I don't want to talk about it now... I need to fully master the dating sim before I can try anything. Anyway, Tsumiki, what about you?"

The nurse jumped, squeaking at the mention of her name. "U-um, me? I just want to continue working with the other nurses and getting better at what I do... and everyone has been so kind in helping me with my self-esteem, so I don't want to waste their time by remaining the pitiful slug that I am..."

"Please don't call yourself that," Nanami said sternly. "But yes, developing a sense of self-worth is important. Every game protagonist worth their while has the confidence to overcome any situation, though it is interesting to see deviations from that character type-"

"Okay, yeah, anyway!" Souda interrupted. "Besides gettin' Sonia to go out with me, I also wanna build up a tougher skin so I'm not as easily annoyed by Tanaka, but..." He snarled to himself. "Everything he does just gets on my nerves so much to the point where I can hardly stand roomin' with him anymore."

"Have you ever considered that the main reason you two are so at odds is because you're fighting over Sonia like elementary school children?" the swindler asked.

"Yeah, duh! He's the main obstacle in my quest to get the girl-" Souda stopped himself, realizing that he was starting to sound too much like Nanami, and continued after a pause. "He's just an ass, okay? He's full of himself and I can't understand what the hell he's sayin' half the time and yeah, I see how close he is with Sonia and that pisses me off, too!"

Komaeda groaned softly, stirred awake by Souda's ranting. "Mm, but you have to admit that they make a good couple, Souda. Just about everyone in our class is waiting for them to get together."

"No, no, no! Ugh, can we just talk about something else?" the mechanic sulked. "It's supposed to be happy on New Year's, and therefore we shouldn't talk about Tanaka."

"You're the one who brought him up in the first place," the swindler muttered.

"Whatever! Any resolutions, Komaeda?"

Komaeda slowly sat up, still wrapped in the extra blanket. "Mm, I haven't really thought of anything yet... just living through another year would be wonderful, really."

Souda's eyes widened. "Wait, what? You expecting not to or somethin'?"

"It's certainly a possibility... I mean, it's a possibility for everyone every day, but especially so for me." He smiled sadly, still blinking traces of sleepiness from his eyes. "I've got a few terminal diseases, and though Tsumiki-" he nodded in her direction "-has been helping with treatment, I don't expect to live to a very old age." Noticing everyone's concerned expressions, he quickly added, "It's fine, really! I've accepted it, and just the fact that I can be here with you all tonight is amazing to me." His smile turned more sincere as he looked around at the four gathered with him.

"Damn," Souda murmured, eyebrows furrowing. "Damn."

A heavy silence descended over the group as everyone submerged themselves into their own thoughts. Nanami in particular seemed to be contemplating something hard, making strange noises that made Souda somewhat uncomfortable. After some stretch of time, she stood up, staring into space for a few moments before speaking. "I've composed a haiku for you all."

Souda looked up from the ocean and grinned. "Hey, I didn't know you were into poetry! Okay, let's hear it."

Nanami cleared her throat and began.

"New years bring new friends,

New games, new dreams, and new ends,

But mostly new games."

She bowed stiffly and sat down. The only noises were Souda trying to stifle his laughter and the water lapping at the sand.

Tsumiki clapped hesitantly. "Um, very good, Nanami!"

Komaeda smiled. "It was... very _you._ I couldn't have said it better myself." The swindler nodded in agreement, chuckling slightly.

Nanami smiled bashfully. "I'm sure you could write some lovely poems, Komaeda. I'd like to hear one, actually, if that's okay."

"Ah, what, like a poetry contest?"

Souda groaned. "_No,_ you guys, that's so girly. I ain't writin' any haipoos or whatever."

The swindler adjusted his tie and raised an eyebrow at the mechanic. "Writing a haiku on New Year's is a tradition. I will gladly supply the next one." He stood up, looking thoughtfully (and, Souda thought, a bit melodramatically) out into the ocean.

"Among dear comrades

I ignore selfish questions

And live presently."

He sat down, leaving everyone to contemplate the poem's meaning. Nanami smiled warmly, seeming touched by the words, and gave an approving nod.

"Wonderful!" Komaeda clapped, eyes lighting up. "That was very inspiring. I suppose I should go next, then, unless one of you wants to go?" He gave Tsumiki and Souda inquisitive looks. Both quickly shook their heads, so Komaeda stood up and began.

"In spite of despair

I cherish every moment

Spent here and alive."

He knelt down onto the sand, kneading it between his fingers and smiling as if happy to simply experience the sensation of touch. Everyone was silent as they stared at him, and he eventually looked up to meet their gazes, smile still in place. "Well? Who's next?"

"U-um..." Tsumiki bit her thumb nervously. "Should I go?"

"If you want to, that would be great!"

Nanami nodded, giving the nurse an encouraging smile. Tsumiki slowly stood up, thought for a few moments, and started with a shaky voice.

"Well, I-I like you all

And I'm glad you don't hate me

W-wait, no, um... sorry."

She sat down quickly, burying her face in her hands. Souda awkwardly reached around Nanami to pat the nurse's shoulder.

"Hey, it's all good! You're among friends here."

Komaeda nodded. "That was just fine, Tsumiki. It's difficult to come up with poems so quickly." He turned his gaze toward Souda, lips quirking upward. "Speaking of which, you're the only one left, Souda. I wonder what kind of things you can write on the fly?"

Souda stuck his tongue out and stood up, scratching at his head. "I still think this is stupid. What do I even talk about?"

"Whatever's on your mind," the swindler said. "It doesn't have to be anything spectacular."

"Hmm..." Souda looked upwards at the stars as he tried to compose something in his mind. After a few moments, he began speaking, head still turned toward the heavens.

"Poems are too hard

But yours were all really good

And, um... yeah, that's it."

His chin tilted downwards again as he took a mock-bow and sat down. Nanami tilted her own head inquisitively.

"I don't think you tried very hard, Souda," she said.

"Hey, y'let Tsumiki off the hook!" he protested.

"That's because she didn't seem comfortable. You seem perfectly fine to me, though."

Souda groaned loudly and tried to think of something else. "Okay, okay, how's this?"

"To finally have

Friends that aren't robotic

Is a great feeling."

Nanami nodded. "Mm, that was a little better."

As Souda spoke, Tsumiki listened raptly and then began scribbling on one of her bandages, counting out syllables on her fingers. When she finished, she quickly passed it to Nanami on her left, shaking nervously. The gamer read it, gave Tsumiki an approving smile, and passed it on. When it reached Souda, he read,

"I'm not eloquent

But I do appreciate

Your sincere kindness."

He grinned at the nurse and gave her a thumbs up as he passed the poem to Komaeda. Tsumiki squeaked and buried her face in her hands, obviously embarrassed at being the center of attention. Once the bandage was passed back to her, she quickly wrapped it back around her wrist and tried to change the subject.

"S-so, um, does anyone know what time it is?"

Souda rolled back his sleeve to check his watch. "It's already 10:30. Y'guys wanna do somethin' else to pass the time? We talked resolutions, so..." He grinned, struck with an idea. "What about truth or dare?"

"What, the kind of game that girls play at sleepovers?" the swindler smirked. "I didn't think you'd be the type to like that sort of 'lame' thing, Souda."

"Hey, it's not like there's anythin' else to do! The water's been too cold to swim in for months, and we all still have to walk home, so there's no point in walkin' along the beach and usin' up all our energy."

"I've never played it myself, actually," Nanami added. "It could be fun."

Everyone was more or less persuaded into playing the game, and by 11:30, among other things, the swindler had confessed to liking Ibuki (which surprised no one), Souda had attempted a hand stand only to fall flat on his back, Nanami climbed up a tree using a blanket "like that one scene from Mulan," Tsumiki told the story of how she once helped sew someone's arm back on, and Komaeda let the others bury his body in sand.

"It's actually quite warm," he commented, smiling and looking up at the clear night sky.

Souda scratched his head. "Maybe we should get you out before you get sand in uncomfortable places."

"It's probably too late for that," Nanami added.

Getting all the sand off Komaeda took another ten minutes, and once he'd shaken most of it off his clothes, he and the others sat down on the blanket once again. "The new year's almost here, guys!" Souda exclaimed, bouncing up and down excitedly.

Komaeda wrapped himself in the extra blanket again and said, "Yes, and I hope you all have a wonderful 365 days to come!"

"We've got fifteen minutes before midnight... what was everyone's favorite memory from this year?" Nanami asked.

"I'd have to say this night. I've never felt this close to so many people, and I hope we can remain friends," the swindler smiled. Tsumiki nodded.

"I've also been really enjoying myself tonight," she agreed. "Other than that, seeing my patients' happy faces when they're finally back to their regular health is always a relief..."

"The karaoke night a few days ago was pretty fun," Souda mused. "I think I really impressed Sonia with my voice! I did have more fun than I was expecting to tonight, though."

"That's very flattering, Souda," Komaeda said sarcastically. "But yes, I'm going to be unoriginal and say that the past few hours have certainly been memorable. I've also had a few amusing exploits with Hanamura this year whenever he attempted to use me as a wingman."

Nanami smiled. "I've made lots of good memories since coming to this school, and I don't think I have just one that sticks out, but I do appreciate all the new friends I've made."

The five spent a few more minutes chatting about the past year, and with a minute to go to midnight, they each took one of Nanami's noisemakers in their hands and joined in with the country's countdown.

"Five... four... three... two..."

...

At that moment, everyone was united in their joy as a class, despite their distance from each other. Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama enjoyed a quiet night, taking a rare break from their duties, while Mioda cheered uproariously with the best crowd she'd ever performed for. Owari was tackled by her giggling brothers and sisters while Hanamura embraced his mother elsewhere; even Koizumi was getting along with her father for once, and Hinata's own family drank glasses of rice wine over the excited yells of his younger siblings. Saionji was locked in a heated debate with her relatives, but everyone was smiling and laughing as they exchanged ridiculous insults. Nidai lifted his mother up on one shoulder and his father on the other, their laughter booming throughout their small home.

Sonia, many time zones away from the rest of her class, gazed up at the sky and smiled as the first of the fireworks were set off, hoping that all of her friends were doing well. Tanaka laid out in the wilderness among a pack of endangered wild cats, grateful that they were still hanging on, and looked up at the stars, burning peacefully with no city lights to drown them out.

On the beach, the remaining five students listened to the distant sounds of bells and fireworks in the city, looking out onto the ocean that was as unchanging as ever. Nanami quietly took Tsumiki's and Souda's hands each in one of her own, and though he was slightly uncomfortable, Souda took Komaeda's, who took the swindler's, who then took Tsumiki's so the small group formed a connected circle. They sat there in silence as cheerful yelling and music could be heard far away, mostly drowned out by the constant sound of the water.

Everyone stayed up much too late that night talking, exchanging stories, worries, and secrets, ultimately unwilling to make the walk back that would signal the end of the night. Eventually, around 2:00 in the morning, Souda stumbled to his feet, helping the others up. Komaeda walked through the city streets with Nanami's blanket still wrapped around his shoulders, and the group had to make significantly more breaks than they had on their way to the beach. Upon reaching the school about an hour and a half later, everyone bid the others a good night and collapsed in their respective rooms, feeling exhausted but as though they had gained something irreplaceable from the whole evening.

...

Hours and hours away, Tanaka slept in his hotel bed, the light on his desk still turned on. On top of piles of hastily-jotted notes, a single piece of paper sat, displaying only a few words.

"I inquire why

I foolishly yearn for she

That hath tamed the beast."


	7. Chapter 7

One evening, two days before school was scheduled to start again, Souda lay in his bed and worked on a list of ways to strike up a conversation with Sonia once she returned from Novoselic. He had starred "have Hinata be a damsel in distress to attract Lady Sonia's attention," "blow spitballs (a classic)," and "wait in front of her room until she comes out." Hearts littered the paper, cluttering around each instance of Sonia's name like adoring fans, and Souda felt confident that at least one plan would succeed.

_I've made so much progress on my resolution and it's only the second day of the year!_ the mechanic thought, giving himself a mental pep-talk like the self-help books told him to. _Damn, I'm a stud. You're a stud, Souda. You deserve a break._ He tucked the paper into his pillowcase and hopped up, heading for the door.

It slammed open and almost hit him in the nose.

Souda screeched, reeling back and putting his hands defensively in front of his face. Familiar footsteps stomped past, and Souda's trembling hands lowered to reveal a very grumpy Tanaka setting his suitcase on the floor.

"Damn, what's your beef?" Souda huffed, crossing his arms and trying to regain his composure.

"If there exist gods that solely endeavor to grant safe and pleasant trips, I have not been blessed by their kind," the breeder replied, taking his hamsters from his scarf and guiding them to their cage. "The seas roared, the skies wept, and the Four Kings took offense to crude sailor songs."

"Why'd ya even bring them, then?"

"Their safety is best ensured with me. I doubt you would have taken care of them with the proper reverence or caution."

Souda pinched the bridge of his nose, wondered why he bothered asking, and left the room as quickly as possible. Not for the first time, he regretted not pushing the principal more into letting him get a new roommate, but he figured there wasn't much he could do about it now. Running a hand over his eyes, he padded down the hallway and out the door to the cafeteria. He'd been distracted all day and forgot to eat lunch, a decision that he began to regret as his stomach lurched against itself. He pushed open one of the heavy double doors and stepped over to the buffet, heading over to his usual table after piling his tray with half a day's worth of food. A few minutes later, Hinata entered alongside Nanami, and Souda waved them over.

"Hey, Hinata!" he grinned, reaching out to slap his friend on the arm. "How was your break?"

Hinata muffled a yawn and said, "Pretty good. I forgot how tiring my little siblings can be, though."

Nanami let out a yawn of her own. "Are you still up for going to the convention tomorrow?"

"O-oh, yeah, of course! I just need some rest tonight."

"'Ey, what about a convention?" Souda asked around a half-chewed mouthful of food.

Hinata winced, glancing at Souda's mouth, and replied, "Nanami wanted to go to some kind of gaming thing and asked me to go with her."

"Sounds cool! Can I come?"

"Um..." Hinata glanced at the gamer, who was staring at Souda's rice and salivating slightly. "I think it's kind of a date, so... sorry, I'd prefer if you didn't. We can catch up another time, though."

Souda sighed and stuck out his tongue. "Fine, whatever! Leave me alone on the last day of break."

Wiping at her mouth with her sleeve, Nanami said, "Sorry, Souda. Maybe we could double-date sometime if you ever get Sonia to date you."

"Hey, y'sounded a bit skeptical there! I'll have you know that I've been thinkin' of ways to talk to her all day."

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Souda, it's not that hard to just go up to someone and talk to them."

"But I've tried talkin' with her and she's still makin' goo-goo eyes at Tanaka!"

"Then maybe you should back off a bi-"

"No!" Souda pounded the table to emphasize just how unthinkable that was. "It's my resolution to get her to date me and I need to make it happen!" Shoveling the last of his food down into his mouth, he picked up his tray and stood up. "I'm gonna go think of more scenarios right now and then we'll see who needs to back off!" He stormed off.

Hinata watched his friend walk away and sighed. "He really needs to get over her at some point."

Nanami nodded. "His determination is admirable, but even the best hero needs to know when he's been beaten."

"I wouldn't exactly call Souda a hero..."

...

"Mister Souda, you are my hero," Sonia sighed, handing one very large suitcase over to the mechanic. "This is the last one, thankfully! My citizens had quite a few gifts to give my family and me for New Year's, and I wished to bring some back here... I didn't realize it would be such a hassle."

"Hey, it's no problem!" Souda grunted, setting the baggage down as gently as possible. "I'm glad I caught ya on your way back. Let's get this last one back to the dorm, yeah?"

"That sounds lovely," Sonia said, eyes closing for a moment and opening halfway. "The trip was a bit tiring, so I'm very glad to have your help." She set off in the direction of the girls' dorm, and Souda waddled after her as quickly as he could, mentally gloating over the fact that he got to help Lady Sonia before Tanaka could swoop in and steal the glory. He then realized that the silence had been stretching on for just a bit too long.

"So did ya have a good break?" he huffed, adjusting his grip on the suitcase.

"Yes, it was wonderful! I missed my home country quite a bit, but I'm also glad to be back here with all my friends now." Sonia slowed down a bit to compensate for Souda's staggering footsteps. "Are you sure you can carry this one all the way back?"

"Yeah, I'm good." Souda casually attempted to lift the suitcase over one shoulder and toppled over.

Sonia gasped and ran over to him. "Are you okay, Souda?" she asked urgently, brows knitting. She extended a hand to help him up, which he took with a distracted grin splitting his face.

"I'm good!" he repeated, brushing off his arm and picking up the suitcase again. Looking straight to the dorms, he saw Tanaka walking toward the two and lost his grin. "Crap," he muttered, then quickly glanced over to Sonia to see if she heard. Luckily, she hadn't; she was too busy waving both arms above her head and yelling cheerfully at Tanaka. _She didn't respond like that when she saw me,_ Souda sulked, dumping the suitcase onto the ground and crossing his arms at the approaching figure.

Once Tanaka had walked closer, Sonia ran up to him and held her arms out for a hug. He stared, eyes widening in bemusement, before slowly patting her shoulder, which Sonia somehow took as a cue to throw her arms around his waist and jump up and down. After a few moments, Sonia pulled away and delicately cleared her throat.

"I apologize. That was very improper of me, wasn't it?" she said, smiling nonetheless.

Tanaka raised two gloved hands to cover his face and didn't reply for a long stretch of time. He eventually shook his head and mumbled, "Apologies are not necessary." His fingers slowly slid from his eyes until they were at his sides again, and he attempted to stand up straight.

"Have you just returned from your trip, Mister Tanaka?"

"Indeed, and what tales of woe could be spun with the threads of time revealed in such a short time on this Earth! Tales of treacherous journeys, suffering species, careless, foul human beings, and-"

"Hey," Souda interjected, "I don't remember you talkin' in such a show-offy way when you first came back here!" He glared at Tanaka, stepped closer, and hissed, "I know you're just tryin' to impress her. Cut it out."

"Gentlemen," Sonia said icily. "I am quite tired and not in the mood to put up with your bickering."

Said gentlemen separated immediately, still glaring at each other. Tanaka cleared his throat. "Perhaps once your supplies have been returned to your abode, Lady Sonia, we could exchange stories of our travels."

"Yes, that would be wonderful," she replied, brightening slightly. "I haven't dined yet, and I'd love to hear about your vacation! It sounds very exciting."

Souda sighed theatrically, and Sonia turned to him. "If you are too tired to carry my luggage any longer, Mister Souda, Mister Tanaka or I could take it from here."

Tanaka began to extend a hand toward the handle, but Souda quickly slapped it away. "No, it's fine! It's just a little longer to the dorms, anyway." He picked up the suitcase with both hands and started waddling forward. "Do you wanna hear about my vacation, Lady Sonia?"

"... and the fireworks were incredible this year, as well! They truly outdo themselves every year; I wish you all could have been there to see it," Sonia said to Tanaka, who was nodding solemnly.

"One of the few fond memories I have archived from this lifetime was the night when I could see such explosions of color in the sky; though they are loud, impractical, and a frivolous use of resources, my newly-reincarnated mind was thoroughly diverted from otherwise... unpleasant circumstances." Tanaka swallowed and adjusted his scarf. "I did not have the good fortune to see such displays recently, however."

Souda made faces at Tanaka while he was talking and then looked straight ahead when the breeder noticed. "Yeah, well, whatever! Here we are at the dorm." Souda set Sonia's suitcase down in front of the main door, which he then opened for the princess. "Unfortunately, I'm not allowed to go in, but I would'a loved to help you get set up," he said, winking and chuckling to himself.

Sonia's eyebrows furrowed slightly in confusion, but she picked up her suitcase and nodded at Souda before turning to Tanaka. "I will see you soon in the cafeteria, then, Mister Tanaka! Thank you for your help, Mister Souda." She smiled at them both and entered the building. As soon as she walked up the stairs and out of sight, Souda shut the door and glared at Tanaka.

Tanaka glared back. Neither said a word until the breeder finally muttered, "I believe she was asking only me to dine. You make take your leave now."

"Like hell I will!" Souda snarled back. "I've got as much of a right to talk with her as anyone else."

Tanaka scoffed and looked down at his shoes for a moment, then smirked as a thought occurred to him. "Have you finished your winter assignment yet?"

A pit of dread formed in Souda's stomach. "... Shit, did we have homework?"

"Indeed; we were instructed to finish our presentations on a topic considered to be the opposite of our expertise."

"Fuck," Souda mumbled. "You'd better not be lyin', 'cause I don't remember that!"

"Perhaps you were in the realm of the unconscious at that time."

"Ugh, shut up!" The mechanic bit at his lip, trying to calm himself. "I gotta go ask Hinata about that... for your sake, it better be true!" He ran off, calling, "Don't think I don't know what you're tryin' to do here! I'm gonna talk to her later whether you like it or not!"

Tanaka's smirk widened slightly, and he leaned against the wall of the dorms to wait for Sonia.

...

On the last day of break, Souda spent most of the day working on his presentation and mentally beating himself up for forgetting about it. When he was satisfied with his work - or, more honestly, completely sick of it -, it was around 4:00. He shut his laptop and slouched back against his headboard, exhaling in a loud puff of air that caused Tanaka to startle in his seat across the room. The mechanic snickered and placed the laptop on his nightstand, exchanging it for a heavy toolbox that he plopped beside his legs with a grunt; he needed to take something apart after all the school-related stress.

He swung himself over the side of the bed and headed out, toolbox in hand. The door slammed behind him as he turned left, intending to go down to the shop, but he quickly spotted Sonia outside the door to the boys' dorm and abandoned all thoughts of productivity.

"Good afternoon, Sonia!" Souda exclaimed, voice rising so as to carry down the hallway and through the door. Walking briskly to meet her outside, he grinned and asked, "Where are y'headed? ... And why are you at the boys' dorm, anyway?"

"I am here to meet someone," Sonia said vaguely, offering a polite, practiced smile back.

In light of recent events, it didn't take long for Souda to put the pieces together. He growled softly to himself. "That 'someone' ain't Tanaka, is it?"

"As a matter of fact, it is!" Sonia's smile grew a bit; even though she'd been found out, she certainly seemed excited about something.

"And what exactly are you two gonna do in an empty dorm room?" Souda asked, another deep feeling of dread blooming in his stomach.

"Before I tell you, you must take a vow not to interrupt us. And we won't be in this building regardless, as it is improper for a girl to enter the boys' dorm."

"Uh, I can't exactly take a vow if you're gonna do somethin' you might regret later..."

Sonia blinked slowly, long eyelashes forming shadows on her face. Souda swallowed quietly. _God, she's so beautiful... why did it have to be Tanaka of all people?_ he thought, temporarily unaware that she was speaking. He only tuned in at the mention of a 'breeding video.'

"... Sorry, could you repeat that?"

"Certainly. I said that I do not intend to regret helping Tanaka film a breeding video for his blog."

Souda stopped cold, the pit in his stomach growing to the point where he almost keeled over. Without another word, he turned around, sprinted back to his room, and threw open the door, rushing to Tanaka before the breeder could do more than exclaim in surprise.

Taking Tanaka's scarf in both hands, Souda pulled the taller man in with such ferocity that the latter was too surprised to resist. "What the hell is this about a breeding video?" the mechanic snarled.

"A... video? Are you referring to the vlog?"

"The what?"

"The human invention of the vlog is a manner with which to communicate with my blog viewers through a video post. Remove your disgusting hands from my person."

"What exactly is gonna be in this _vlog?_" Souda hissed, ignoring Tanaka's command.

"We were planning to discuss the breeding habits of the critically endangered Iriomote cat, and perhaps I will allow Miss Sonia to read the fun animal fact of the day," Tanaka responded, firmly yanking his scarf back into place and standing up to his full height. "I was unaware you were so interested in my affairs." He smirked. "Would you like the web address?"

"No, I don't wanna read your stupid blog! Just... whatever. I still don't trust you alone with Lady Sonia," Souda mumbled, crossing his arms.

"Do not assume that others have the same impure intentions as you do," Tanaka said. He picked up the laptop on his desk and walked over to the door, cape fluttering as he took wide strides; the door slammed shut behind him a few seconds later.

"... Yeah, well, you're a teenage guy! I know what you're thinkin'! You're just in denial!" Souda yelled to the empty room. He sighed and collapsed face-first on his bed before realizing he should probably go follow them and hopping back up. In front of the door, he waited for a few more seconds so he wouldn't be spotted and then sneaked into the hallway, looking both ways down the corridor. He didn't see anyone at the entrance, so he quietly jogged over and noticed his toolbox sitting outside.

He stared down at it. _I musta dropped it in surprise... but I can't worry about that right now! I'm gonna lose'em!_ He kicked at the toolbox, stubbed his toe, swore, and gently pushed it under a bush in his second attempt before sprinting away.

...

Sonia and Tanaka walked down to the library together, chatting about their vacation and going over the script that Tanaka had written for the video.

"Not to be critical, but I am permitted to 'spice this up,' Mister Tanaka? It is important that your viewers truly feel the pressing need to help this species of cat!" Sonia said, pointing to a particularly dull part of the script in which she simply said "wow" after Tanaka listed a few facts. "This exclamation, for example, must be followed by an exclamation _point!_"

Tanaka put a hand to his chin, humming slightly in thought. "I suppose it would be optimal to garner enthusiasm, and yours is quite... contagious," he said, the last word catching in his throat slightly. "I will permit you to make changes if you wish."

"Wonderful!" Sonia's eyes skimmed over the pages. "This is impeccably researched! I never even knew this species existed; did you truly see them in your travels this week?"

Tanaka nodded. "Unfortunately, their mating seasons typically occur in the autumn and later in the winter, but I nonetheless came across a select number of individuals that warmed up to my dark heart in time." As they drew closer to the library, Tanaka opened the door and gestured Sonia in, following behind her. "Now, we must find a filming location with optimal lighting and acoustics as well as a charming backdrop. I rarely do vlog posts; thus, the few that are produced must be of high quality, or my viewers will be most disappointed!"

Sonia mused that, for someone who supposedly didn't care about what mortals thought, Tanaka was putting quite a bit of effort into the video. She giggled and said nothing on the matter. "The back corner on the second floor is somewhat of a go-to spot now, isn't it?"

"... I suppose so. Very well; let us see if it will suffice." Tanaka trekked up the stairs, cape billowing out behind him. Sonia was tempted to grab it to see how he would react, but he reached the second floor before she could act on her impulse. She followed him to the table in the corner and looked around.

"This whole library is so lovely that any area would provide a great backdrop, but it's nice and quiet back here!" Sonia said, moving the two chairs beside each other. "If you set your camera up on the table here, we could sit side by side in front of the window! The view of the courtyard is wonderful from here." She stopped and quickly added, "Oh, I hope I'm not being pushy! You can go wherever you wish, of course, I just thought this spot would be ideal..."

Tanaka shook his head, holding up one hand to quiet the princess. "I agree that this is a good location; we may film here if you wish." He set his laptop down on the table and opened it, setting up the camera. He paused before stiffly settling down in the chair next to Sonia. "Now. I also have the script on the computer, so you may read from that while we film if you wish. It would be preferable to do a run-through first, however, so we may start anytime you feel ready."

Sonia shifted in her chair slightly and nodded. "I am ready! I'll introduce myself, then, if you don't mind." She looked into the camera on the laptop and said, "Greetings to the viewers of this blog! I am Sonia Nevermind and I will be joining Mister Tanaka today to talk to you about the Iriomote cat!" She glanced at Tanaka. "Is that okay?"

"Yes, that will do." He read from the script, "In my travels in the past week, I had the privilege to enter the territory of the critically endangered Iriomote cat. Due to the destruction of their environment as well as competition with domesticated cats, their species is quickly dying out; it is estimated that less than one hundred may still exist on this planet."

Sonia gasped. "That's awful! And you were still fortunate enough to come across one?"

"Indeed, my fellow gods blessed me in allowing this trip to be such a success. The felines could be considered difficult to spot, as they are quite small; they often weigh approximately three to four and a half kilograms and only measure seventy to ninety centimeters, including their tails. Their dark brown coats also blend with their surroundings, and though this is an awe-worthy adaptation, it can hinder mere human eyes from noticing their presence." Tanaka laughed aloud. "But as you are aware, Gundam Tanaka is no mere human, and I could sight the creatures with ease!"

Ignoring that the last sentence Tanaka said wasn't in the script, Sonia clasped her hands together and said, "Wow, that's very impressive, Mister Tanaka! What were you able to discover on your travels?"

"I spoke with a mortal there who has been concerning himself with the conservation of this majestic creature. He informed me that the population has remained relatively stable for the past few years, but it has not risen, either; thus, I will return periodically to the Iriomote island to ensure that all is well and assist when necessary, especially during their annual breeding seasons."

"Is there anything that we pathetic savages can do to help, even though humanity is to blame for the suffering of these innocent creatures from the start and so many species would benefit if humans didn't exi-" Sonia frowned. "I don't approve of this line. It's very negative."

"... I suppose you may modify it," Tanaka said. "I do believe I make a valid point, however."

"What you're suggesting is mass genocide of the human race!"

"Do you not, in the darkest of times, also contemplate how much suffering would be eliminated if humans didn't exist? No swords would clash over petty disagreements, none would die simply for the sake of bloodshed, all of history would-"

"Cease such talk immediately!" Sonia gave the breeder a firm look. "Yes, humans do cause suffering, and thinking of such things does pain me, but humans can also create wonderful things! Though we cannot right all the wrongs that have been done, there will always be hope for the future; just the fact that someone is trying to save this species should show you that humans can use their abilities to help, and though there will always be bad people, there will also always be more good people to better the world."

Tanaka bit his lip and looked down at his interlaced hands, saying nothing but appearing deep in thought. After a few minutes of contemplation, he muttered, "I apologize if I have offended you. I... do agree that perhaps not everyone is as insufferable as I am accustomed to, but I've had little experience with their type." _Until you graced me with your presence, that is,_ he added mentally. "I simply feel that the less humans there are in existence, the less suffering there will be."

"That may or may not be true, but there are also many fantastic things that would not exist without humanity!" Sonia put a finger to her chin, thinking for a moment. "For example, you couldn't see all the species of the world if you couldn't travel long distances, yes? But with planes and boats, we can go anywhere in the world! Humans also created the written word so that one can enjoy murder mystery novels and read of all the good and bad things that have happened in history. As a species, we are constantly learning from our mistakes and improving, even if it's happening very slowly, so please don't give up on humanity, Mister Tanaka!"

Tanaka put his head in his hands and was silent again. "Your words are very persuasive," he said, rubbing his forehead. "I suppose I will have to rethink the matter in my own time... shall we continue for now?"

"Yes, let's!" Sonia crossed out Tanaka's original line in pen and scribbled something else down, then recited, "Is there anything that we can do to help?"

Tanaka cleared his throat and read, "Yes, I will link to various websites below this video that may be utilized to further educate oneself on this topic and to provide assistance. Additionally, if you reside on or visit the island, be wary when driving; many individual cats die as a result of traffic-related accidents. Thank you for your time and consideration." He flipped to the next page. "Miss Sonia, would you like to read the fun animal fact of the day?"

"I would be honored!" Studying the paper, Sonia read, "Though the Iriomote cat is rather small, two of the world's smallest cats include the rusty-spotted cat, which usually weighs about a kilogram, and the black-footed cat, which can weigh about two to two and a half kilograms. Oh, that's so adorable," she sighed, setting the script down with a smile. "I've always wanted a pet of any sort, but my parents say that it would dirty our castle... if it was just a little cat, though, how much harm could it do?" she giggled.

Tanaka smiled softly. "Do not underestimate small creatures; they are often the most vicious." He pointed to the earring that was always on his person. "I obtained this sacred jewel only through besting a fearsome Pomeranian from the depths of hell itself; the battle was long and taxing for the both of us, and I now keep the devildog earring on my person at all times to commemorate that day. If I ever were to separate myself from it, the world itself would end."

Sonia gasped. "Oh, that's amazing! So much power in such a small thing... it must be hard to have that much responsibility to carry with you every day."

"Pah, it is nothing for a being such as I! And do you not also carry many burdens, being the heir to a throne?"

"That is true, but I am troubled enough to have to worrying about one small country, let alone the whole world!"

"Yes, well..." Tanaka lowered his head slightly, burying part of his chin in his scarf. "It is nothing to discuss in length, really. Shall we commence filming?"

"We shall!" Sonia chirped, flipping back to the first page of the script. "I am prepared whenever you are, Mister Tanaka. Do I appear film-ready?"

"Yes, as always," Tanaka mumbled, heat rushing to his cheeks. He cleared his throat and hit the record button on the laptop.

...

Behind the bookshelf, Souda sat with his knees up to his chest and his head buried in his arms, feeling very tired and very bored of watching Sonia and Tanaka. It seemed as though they really were just talking about endangered cats, and Souda's mental fatigue had quickly gotten the better of him; he had stopped listening after the first few sentences of the practice reading and was almost asleep when he felt a foot kicking at his thigh. His head snapped up and he inhaled sharply, ready to scream in surprise before he saw Owari and Tsumiki standing over him.

He put a hand over the spot where his heart was beating out of control and hissed, "Don't do that! You scared the shit outta me."

Owari put her hands on her hips and said, "What the hell are you doin' back here? Libraries ain't exactly the best places to take naps."

Souda clambered to his feet, throwing a quick glance around the shelf to make sure his targets hadn't spotted him. "Uh, I'm just... y'know. Hangin' out. Yeah. What're you guys doin' here?"

"I put off that stupid project for too long and now I don't even know what I'm supposed to do, so I asked mousy here to help me," Owari said, scratching at her hair. "What's the opposite of gymnastics, anyway?"

"Um... professional bed tester?"

"Hey, yeah!" Owari's mouth quirked into a carefree grin. "That sounds like a great job too, actually..."

"U-um, is that really a real job?" Tsumiki muttered.

Souda shrugged. "Sure, why not? Someone's gotta make sure they're fit for sleepin' on, I guess."

"Sweet, thanks! C'mon, mousy, we're gonna find some books on this." Owari hooked her arm around Tsumiki's and began dragging her away.

"No, wait!" Tsumiki wrenched herself away, apologizing repeatedly under her breath. "I'm sorry, I just need to... c-could you wait for me over there, please?" She pointed to the rail overlooking the first floor.

"Sure, whatever," Owari said, rubbing at one eye. "Just hurry up, though! I'm gonna be too tired to do this soon." She turned after waving at the two. "See ya later, sharky."

Souda felt at his teeth self-consciously. "What's up with all the animal nicknames...?" He looked at Tsumiki fidgeting and wrenched his fingers out of his mouth. "Ah, geez, sorry. Was there somethin' you needed to talk about?"

Tsumiki pressed the pads of her fingers together and stared at them for a few silent moments. "Um, well... I... I just wanted to thank you for being so nice the other night," she muttered, hands beginning to shake. "N-no one else has really talked to me about their experiences with bad friends, so I appreciated hearing someone else's story..." She covered her mouth and gasped. "Oh, wait, no, that's not what I meant! I-I didn't mean it's good that people treated you badly, just... um..." She turned her back to Souda and started briskly walking away. "Never mind, forget I said anything! I'm sorry!"

The mechanic was too confused to say anything as he watched Tsumiki disappear around a bookshelf, so he shrugged and turned around.

He found himself face-to-face with a chubby hamster and shrieked at a volume entirely inappropriate for a library.

"Hello, Mister Souda!" Sonia said, raising the pitch of her voice so as to imitate Cham-P. "I have taken a break from my hamster duties to bid you greetings! Be honored!"

"Miss Sonia," Tanaka interjected, swooping around the bookshelf, "the fearsome voice of Invading Black Dragon Cham-P is not nearly as... cute as that you are projecting onto him. He is a powerful breed, a Syrian, and thus has a commanding voice that turns weak hearts to ice."

"Oh, my apologies, Cham-P!" she said, frantically petting the hamster's fur as if to show her remorse. "Let me try again..." She cleared her throat and used her deepest voice to say, "Mortal Kazuichi Souda, I have come to prey on your soul! Surrender yourself to me immediately and I will satiate my hunger as quickly as possible!"

Souda shrieked again and covered his face. Tanaka's eyes widened and his mouth went slack.

Sonia giggled and nuzzled her cheek against Cham-P's fuzzy body. "Was that better?"

"That was terrifying," Souda muttered, peeking out from behind his fingers to make sure that the voice had come from Sonia and not a demon that emerged from between the wooden flooring.

"That was... certainly an improvement, my lady," Tanaka said, looking at the back of Sonia's head with a sort of awe. He blinked rapidly, trying to relax his brow. "Nonetheless, shall we resume our mission?"

"Yes, let's!" Sonia gently took Cham-P's paw between two of her fingers and made him wave. "Goodbye, Mister Souda! I'll see you in he-"

"Please stop doing that voice," Souda pleaded, pulling his beanie down over his ears.

...

By the time Sonia and Tanaka were satisfied with the video, the last red rays of the sun were disappearing and many students had already left the library. Sonia stood up with a stretch of her arms and sighed. "Thank you for letting me film with you, Mister Tanaka! I would love to do it again anytime you need my assistance."

Tanaka nodded, gathering up his supplies. "I will keep that in mind." He paused, laptop in hand. "Miss Sonia, did you truly enjoy yourself today?"

"Of course! I learned many new things about adorable little cats and about you, as well." She laughed softly to herself. "And I also learned of a new way to scare away Mister Souda when he becomes... overbearing."

Tanaka's mouth twitched upward. "Such knowledge is surely indispensable." He gazed out the window at the few emerging stars. "There are few of this world who can claim to come into my presence regularly, and... I am glad that you are one of those few. Your sincerity is apparent in your words."

Sonia smiled. "Well, I'm glad that you're glad, Mister Tanaka! Shall we go get something to eat?"

The breeder thought for a moment. "I suppose that would be best, yes. The cooking drones will likely cease their work soon." He turned with a flourish of his cape and walked beside the princess as they stepped down the stairs and outside.

As they strolled through the quiet evening, Tanaka wondered why this test of Sonia's true intentions in getting close to him only resulted in him wanting to become closer to _her_. His lingering distrust knocked around in the back of his brain, reprimanding him for getting too attached, warning him of the betrayal that was bound to occur, but he couldn't bring himself to listen or to care.


	8. Chapter 8

On the same day that Souda was slaving over his assignment and Sonia and Tanaka were filming their video, Hinata found himself at a crowded gaming convention dressed as Link and dragged around by a very excited Sheik.

"People cosplay from the Legend of Zelda series every year, but it's a classic for a reason," Nanami had said, holding up a Link costume complete with a finely-made shield and sword.

"Why do you have the costume already?" Hinata had asked, noticing that it seemed too big for her.

"I've always wanted to do a couple's cosplay."

He certainly couldn't have said no to her after that, and the quality of both costumes was very high, which made the whole experience a bit less embarrassing; Hinata wondered if Nanami had made them herself or paid good money to have them sewn for her. When Hinata asked why she wasn't dressed as Zelda instead, since that was the typical pairing, Nanami had replied that Sheik's outfit was cooler.

Hinata couldn't argue that the tight pants were pretty nice, but he quickly reprimanded himself for thinking so and reminded himself to listen to Souda less.

Nanami had essentially brought a small fortune to the con with her, and Hinata watched in bewilderment for most of the day as she purchased all sorts of keychains, stickers, buttons, and art commissions, each one placed with care into her small backpack. By lunchtime, merchandise was spilling out of the pack, which Nanami had to unzip to accommodate all her purchases.

Hinata plopped down onto a bench with a sigh of relief, setting the heavy sword and shield down on the table and digging into his food. Nanami took a seat beside him and began to take inventory of the contents in her backpack. Small trinkets soon cluttered the tabletop.

"Let's see, I have five doujins, twenty two buttons, twelve keychains, six custom commissions, and nine signed copies of games, and I've spent..." she counted the remaining stack of money in her hands, "...about a fourth of my budget."

Hinata began coughing on his food and had to take a few moments to pull himself together. "Woah, how much money did you bring?"

Nanami's eyes steeled, and the red contacts made her intensity all the more unsettling. "This con is a gamer's dream, Hinata. I come here every year and make it a goal to have better cosplays, buy more merchandise, and meet more developers, so I save my money to come do all those things."

"Go hard or go home, huh?" Hinata laughed to himself, trying to dispel the tense atmosphere. He mentally reprimanded himself once more for sounding like such a dork.

Nanami simply replied with a somber "yes" while flipping through one of the books she bought. The two sat in a contented silence, occasionally nodding at passersby that complimented their cosplays.

Noticing that quite some time had passed and Nanami was still reading, Hinata said, "Hey, remember to eat, okay?"

"Mhm," she replied, red eyes flicking over the drawings and talk bubbles.

He sighed and stood up. "I'll be right back." Nanami nodded slightly, so he made his way over to the long lunch line and waited, stopping to take pictures with a few people and really hoping that no one would recognize him if they got posted on the internet. He returned to the table after bumping into several con-goers and almost dropping the tray, which he set down in front of Nanami with a sigh of relief.

She didn't seem to notice the food and continued reading, so Hinata sat down beside her and, with a small smile, wafted the smell of the food toward her with a few flicks of his hand. The book was soon set aside, and Nanami smiled back and nodded her thanks to Hinata before beginning to eat.

"So are you feeling alright? Not getting too sleepy?" Hinata asked, one elbow set upon the table to prop his chin in his hand. "You definitely seem more energetic than usual."

"Of course I am," Nanami replied after taking a swig of water. "I went to bed early last night. Although it seems that I'm always tired no matter how much sleep I get..."

Hinata laughed softly and nodded in response. "School really drains your energy, yeah, but at least we had this last week off. How was your break, by the way?"

"It was good," the gamer smiled. "On New Year's Eve, those of us with nowhere to go for break all went to the beach and just talked and played games. That was the highlight, although having more time to play new releases was nice, too."

"Oh, that sounds fun. I'm sorry I wasn't there; I promised my family I'd go back to visit them for the new year," Hinata said, frowning slightly. "Who was with you?"

"Souda, Tsumiki, Komaeda, and the swindler." Nanami finished her food and put the cloth that Sheik wore back over her face. "And it's okay. We can go to the beach another time, right?"

"Yeah, of course," Hinata muttered, stumbling over his words slightly. "That's a bit of a weird group, though. Did you all really get along okay? I know Souda can be a bit... overwhelming, but when he's not talking about Sonia, he's fine."

"Yes, they're all very nice to be around." Nanami stood up, effectively ending that conversation and starting the second round of going around the con. "C'mon, we still have about half the booths to visit."

Hinata swung his legs over the bench and stood up, sword and shield in hand. "Where to, noble one?"

Nanami blinked. "You sound like Tanaka, not Link. Link doesn't talk in the games." She then turned and walked off to the second floor, evidently expecting him to follow.

Hinata sighed and muttered, "Well, excuse me, princess," before starting after her. His arms were already tired.

...

On the fourth of January, Sonia and Tanaka's video went viral, and on the fourth of January, Souda experienced true teenage angst.

"Hinata, it's the first day of school," said teenager groaned, rubbing at his forehead. "I'm already bummed enough about that, and I don't need to hear you or anyone else talkin' about that stupid video. It ain't even that cute."

"Yes, it is!" Mioda chirruped from two desks behind him. "A pretty princess and her shy boy friend slash boyfriend filming a vlog together is like something out of a rom-rom-com-com!"

"It's just rom-com," Koizumi corrected, looking idly out the window.

"Ibuki likes rom-rom-com-com better! It's funner to say," the musician grinned, flicking the back of Koizumi's head.

"They're both idiots," Kuzuryuu said, crossing his arms. "A future queen filming with some weird guy is obviously gonna get all kinds of media attention, and Sonia's parents are probably gonna get all pissy at her now. They should've thought about that before they posted it."

"Of course you'd want to stay under the radar," Saionji snickered. Her eyes went from bright to blank in less than a second. "I bet you've killed tons of people in tons of different ways and never gotten caught... is squishing them as fun as crunching little snails?"

Kuzuryuu met Saionji's dead gaze with a glower and said, "Not everyone kills for pleasure, you sick fuck. It's business."

She giggled, eyes sparkling again. "That's what you tell yourself so you can sleep at night, right?"

"Saionji, stop," Pekoyama interjected. "You're causing unnecessary conflict."

"_Anyways,_" Mioda trilled, "as Ibuki was saying, the video is adorbs!"

"Please don't bring that word back," Hinata said to himself with a wince.

"And it's educational! We should get our teacher to show it in science class!" Mioda continued.

Souda slammed his head onto his desk and pulled his beanie over his ears. Hinata gave him a single, slow pat on the back. "Hey, don't worry; everyone will probably forget about it soon!"

"It is pretty cute, though," Nanami said, replacing the batteries in her GameBoy.

"Not helping," Hinata muttered, smiling nonetheless.

The door swung open and Owari dragged herself into the classroom, holding two apples in each hand and balancing one on her head. Nidai followed and slapped her on the back enthusiastically, causing the carefully-balanced apple to tumble to the ground.

The gymnast sighed. "Why can't I just have coffee? I only got two hours of sleep 'cause I was workin' on that damn project."

"Apples are a more natural and healthy way to wake yourself up in the morning!" Nidai replied, picking up the fallen fruit and taking a bite.

"But coffee comes from plants."

"Caffeine is detrimental to one's health if consumed in excess and can cause headaches, muscle tremors, and-"

"Hey, can you two shut up?" Souda said against his desktop.

"You!" Owari seethed, walking up to the mechanic's desk and slamming her hands onto it. "This is all your fault! I had to write about people who test beds for a living while I was almost falling asleep! Do you know how damn hard that made the project for me?"

"Geez, sorry for givin' you suggestions. I'll try to remember not to help in the future."

"Ooh, someone put his sassy pants on this morning!" Mioda gasped. She pumped her fist in the air and chanted, "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

"Excuse me, who is fighting and why?" Sonia asked, stepping into the room. Tanaka silently followed in behind her, which made Souda scoff when he looked up.

"I believe three or four separate arguments just occurred in as many minutes, actually," the swindler said while attempting to calm Mioda down.

She huffed. "No fun! Ibuki wants to see a headbanging battle."

"That's not how people typically sort out their disagreements..."

"Well, it should be!"

Sonia coughed. "Nonetheless, let's all calm down a bit, shall we?"

"Hey, you're the cause of all this gossipy bullshit," Kuzuryuu piped up. "You and Tanaka posted that stupid video and now it's all over the internet. It'll probably make international news at this rate."

"I wonder what kinda _other_ videos you filmed together, hmm?" Hanamura chuckled.

Pekoyama gave the chef a blank stare that shut him up immediately.

Sonia tightly clasped her hands in front of her lap and exhaled from her nose. "This will not do. I didn't think my parents would be following an animal breeding blog, but if the video becomes that famous, then there is a strong chance they will hear it through the wine."

Nanami replaced the backing of her GameBoy and said, "Do you mean the grapevine?"

"Yes, thank you."

Tanaka crossed his arms and said, "Will the royal ones take offense to my presence around their esteemed daughter?"

"That is a possibility," Sonia replied, turning to face him. "You see, they are a bit picky about-"

She was interrupted by the entrance of their teacher, who motioned for everyone to take their seats. Sonia frowned and said, "We will have to discuss it later. Shall we go to the usual spot?"

Tanaka trained his gaze firmly on the floor, arms still crossed defensively. "I suppose." He went to his seat, unaware of every other student watching the dispute between the two.

"This is better than reality TV," Mioda whispered to Koizumi, who sighed in response.

"Yeah, this is great!" Souda said, turning around to face the musician. "Maybe her parents will keep'em from dating and I'll finally get my chance!"

"What makes you think you have a better chance than Tanaka?" Hinata asked.

"Shh! I'll worry about that later," Souda hushed. "Just let me enjoy this for now."

Hinata sighed and reluctantly picked up his pencil, wondering if he could take six more months of this.

However, he had to admit that the tinny sounds coming from Nanami's game were comforting. He looked over at her for a few moments, smiled to himself, and looked back down at his paper. Mioda could be heard cooing behind him.

...

After sitting through a day of classes, Souda hopped out of his seat with a stretch. He let out a deep sigh and said, "Man, I'm in a good mood today! I'm not even gonna follow Sonia and Tanaka to the library 'cause I know they're just gonna argue and that makes me even happier."

"Souda, there are so many things wrong with what you just said," Hinata said, standing up as well. "First, how did you know where they were meeting when they said 'the usual spot,' and second, why does Sonia's misery make you happy?"

"Well, duh, I've followed 'em there before and they always meet at that one spot!" Souda tapped at his teeth with a fingernail, grimacing slightly. "But hey, for the second one, she might be sad when they break up, but then I can swoop in and comfort her and then she'll realize how much better off she is without'im!"

"Souda, no," Hinata groaned. "You stalking those two is getting really creepy. I mean, it always has been, but I think it's worse now. And how do you even know they're going to break up? Are they actually dating?"

"Because," Souda replied, crossing his arms, "because I want them to! And I know it's what Sonia wants, too, but Tanaka probably brainwashed her or somethin'." He tugged his hat down and looked around, as if to watch for ghosts or witches. He lowered his voice, though most of the other students had already left the room. "He does all these creepy chants late at night and it freaks me out. I think he _does_ it to freak me out, actually. Asshole."

Nanami finally stood up to join the two boys, cheerful music still emitting from her game. "Souda, I don't know if they're dating, but it's rude to want two people to break up. You're acting like Spat."

Souda quirked an eyebrow. "Sorry, who?"

"Spat. He's the antagonist in Hamtaro: Ham-Ham Heartbreak and he makes all the couples fight with each other, so Hamtaro and Bijou have to make them all get back together." Nanami paused said game and looked up, staring at Souda straight in the eyes. "Don't make Hinata and me be Hamtaro and Bijou, Souda. Whether they're together or separated, Tanaka and Sonia both deserve to be happy, so don't try to meddle with them anymore."

Souda put his hands up defensively. "Okay, okay, geez! I said I wasn't gonna because I think they're gonna separate on their own, right? Don't compare me to some stupid hamster game."

"It's not stupid. It's cute." She looked back down to the game again, still speaking. "And we all know you're going to try and break them up again if they can get through this obstacle together."

Souda crossed his arms and didn't bother denying it. "Whatever. I'm gonna get to work, so I'll see you two later." He spun around on his heel and walked from the classroom with a single wave of his hand.

Hinata shook his head slightly and looked over Nanami's shoulder at her game. "So are those two Hamtaro and Bijou?"

"Yes," Nanami replied after a pause. She smiled softly. "They're dating."

"Oh. Cool." Hinata said nothing for a while longer, content to watch the game and wonder how hamsters dated, anyway. He'd have to ask Tanaka later; perhaps once he found his voice again.

...

In the back corner of the library, Tanaka paced back and forth, hands clasped behind his back and cape sweeping in circles as he turned to take a few more steps.

"Mister Tanaka, I'm sure they'll understand if we just speak to them!" Sonia pleaded. "Please do not be angry; they are a bit picky in who I date, but we're not dating, correct? So we just need to explain that we are friends and they'll be okay!"

Tanaka ceased movement and glared at the floor.

"Um, but if you do want to date at some point in the future, then I'm sure we could explain that, as well!" Sonia wondered why she couldn't stop talking before she had put her mouth in her foot. Or was it her foot in her mouth...?

Tanaka continued with his pointed silence, putting a hand to his chin in thought.

Sonia figured it would be best not to say anything, so she sighed and reread the message her parents sent her on her laptop, eyes glancing at the particularly worrying lines.

"We are concerned."

"While this Mr. Tanaka seems like a fine young man, he strikes us as eccentric."

"We would like to know your relationship with him."

The princess sighed once more and adjusted her posture. "They have suggested having a video conversation with the two of us. Would you be open to that?"

"What are we to say about the status of our relationship?" Tanaka finally asked, eyes still boring into the carpet.

"That is a good question," Sonia replied, staring into the bright screen. "I suppose they would object to a romantic relationship, but if they could be properly convinced that you are a worthy partner, then I believe they would allow it."

Tanaka burst into a slightly shaky bought of laughter. "Ha! Of course I, the great Gundam Tanaka, the Ascendant Ruler of Ice, am worthy! In fact, it is only fitting that a princess would fall victim to my dark charms." He quickly stopped himself, staring at the floor again.

Sonia giggled. "Mister Tanaka, are you asking me out?"

"I..." He swallowed. He hadn't been prepared for this to happen so soon, not when he still had doubts, but it was now or never. "Indeed! I am asking you to become Our Lady of Darkness, a title most fitting for one such as yourself! Do you accept?"

Sonia stood up and curtsied. "I would be honored, O Lord of Darkness!"

"Excellent!" Tanaka boomed. A librarian came rushing through the rows of shelves to shush him. "...My apologies."

Sonia laughed softly and sat back down, patting the chair next to her. Tanaka walked over to her, failing to hide his smile, and took a seat at her side. He shifted and cleared his throat. "Shall we commence?"

"Yes, let me just tell them what time we'll be calling them," Sonia said, quickly typing something out. She looked to her right and smiled. "Are you nervous?"

"Pah, what a ridiculous inquiry! I fear nothing," Tanaka scoffed. Sonia didn't comment on his shaking hands. "I have faced demons from the depths of the seas and the forests, otherworldly beasts that I bested with nothing but these cursed hands, and yet you would insinuate that I dread a mere earthly couple?"

"Excuse me," Sonia huffed. "They are a king and queen, thank you very much, and some dread is to be expected! Even I am a bit nervous, and there's certainly no shame in admitting it."

"Er... I did not mean any disrespect," Tanaka muttered into his scarf. "I apologize."

"Just be sure to be on your best behavior! No mumbling into your muffler, and sit up straighter," Sonia instructed, gesturing to herself as an example. Tanaka leaned straight up against the back of the chair, sitting very stiffly. "And relax! I am sure it will go swimmingly; if you can charm me, surely you can have the same effect on them." He flushed and didn't respond. "Now, they said that they will be ready in ten minutes, so we can relax until then."

Tanaka exhaled and said, "What will you do if they forbid you to be Our Lady of Darkness?"

Sonia smiled. "I suppose I will continue to date you anyway, Our Lord of Darkness!" She winked, causing Tanaka to fidget in his seat and look down at his lap. He took out the Four Kings to calm himself a bit.

"I must warn you of the responsibilities and potential repercussions of becoming a dark goddess," he said, running his fingers through Sun-D's fur. "You may continue to practice your personal style of ruling, of course, as I will practice mine. I trust we will share a mutual respect regardless of personal preferences." He inhaled slowly and let the breath out in a silent sigh. "But if at any time you begin to find my company... toxic to your well being, I implore you to inform me. If the problem originates in me and cannot be fixed, it is no fault of yours, and the best course of action in that scenario would be a separation."

Sonia pursed her lips for a moment and looked down at her intertwined fingers. "If you ever have any problems or anything that's bothering you, Mister Tanaka, you can always tell me! Of course I will work with you to fix it. I do not plan on separating from someone who needs my help." She raised her head to make eye contact with Tanaka, though he was still focused on his hamsters. He fidgeted under her gaze and only looked up, surprised, when she put her hand on his shoulder.

"I see," he muttered, breaking eye contact again. "I will do the same for you, then."

"Excellent," Sonia said, smiling and giving Tanaka's shoulder one last pat. "I suppose we can work out the finer details later, but I think we're off to a good start!"

Tanaka's shaky laughter broke the silence between the two. "Yes, we shall be an unstoppable force! Beauty and beast, Hades and Persephone, Zhinu and Niulang, Izanagi and -" He was hushed by another librarian, who threatened to kick the couple out if Tanaka raised his voice one more time.

When the two were alone again, Sonia laughed to herself. "I look forward to ruling with you, then!" She nodded at Tanaka, who tipped his head in return, and checked the time, noticing that about eight minutes had passed. "Are you ready to speak with my parents soon?"

Tanaka tucked his hamsters back into his muffler and nodded once more. Sonia used one hand to turn the camera on and the other to clasp Tanaka's shoulder for another moment. The flush in his cheeks faded just as the king and queen of Novoselic appeared onscreen.

"Good afternoon, Sonia," Mister Nevermind began. "I trust the boy next to you is Mister Tanaka?"

"Yes, that is correct," Sonia replied. She turned her head to the right. "Would you like to introduce yourself?"

"Certainly," Tanaka said. He swallowed and declared, "I am Gundam Tanaka, world famous animal breeder. It is an honor to make your acquaintance, Mister and Missus Nevermind."

The royals onscreen nodded. "The same to you, Tanaka," they said in unison.

Sonia's mother then asked, "Sonia, why did you not make us aware of this young man while you were visiting? Were you trying to hide your relationship from us?"

"No, Mother!" Sonia said. "It simply never came up in conversation, and I did not see a need to bring it to your attention as we were not dating at the time."

"At the time?" her father echoed. "Does that mean that you are now?"

Sonia nodded, and Tanaka followed her lead a bit hesitantly.

Mister Nevermind sighed. "While we appreciate your honesty, it would have been ideal for you to ask for our approval beforehand. You've done so with all the gentlemen you've dated in the past."

Tanaka made a mental note to ask Sonia about that later.

"Yes, but we just began dating a few minutes ago, you see," Sonia replied. "We have been friends since the beginning of the school year, however."

Sonia's mother huffed and said, "Well, your father and I will have to discuss this privately later. If we do approve-"

Sonia clasped her hands together, eyes shining.

"If we approve, we expect you not to pull any more publicity stunts like the one from yesterday. It makes the whole kingdom seem frivolous if their princess is seen making silly videos about cats."

Tanaka tensed slightly but didn't comment.

"Now, Mister Tanaka," King Nevermind began, "what are your intentions in courting our daughter and what makes you think you are worthy of marrying into our royal family? You do realize that the royal line of Novoselic has persisted for one thousand years."

"Father!" Sonia protested. "Is it not a bit early to be considering marriage?"

"Do not fret, my lady," Tanaka said. "I will answer their questions nonetheless." He cleared his throat. "My intentions in courting Miss Sonia are pure, I assure you. She has expressed interest in learning more of my profession, which we have bonded through." He clenched his hands tightly on his knees, trying to stop his tremors. He had not experienced such fright since the last time he lost the devildog earring. "And... and I would gladly rule abreast of such a fearsome and commanding future queen! I have much experience with leadership, being the Ascendant Ruler of Ice, and - " Sonia elbowed his side, hopefully out of the camera's view. "And... I humbly request permission to continue courtship."

The king and queen were silent, evidently not sure what to make of a speech that changed its tone so many times. Queen Nevermind eventually nodded and said, "As I said, we will discuss that last point privately. Are you of royal descent, then?"

Tanaka rolled his shoulders back and said, "While my mother and father do not have noble blood, I am destined to become the ruler of the underworld! I shall tame Cerebrus and unleash long-dead souls into the world with the intent to -" Sonia cleared her throat. "To... dispatch their immortal wisdom onto the earth! I believe if we look to the past, we may find many lost teachings and lessons to be learned."

"Yes, I suppose," the king of Novoselic said after a pause. "Are you feeling well, Mister Tanaka?"

Tanaka nodded and didn't say anything, aware that he wouldn't be able to hear his own voice over the blood pounding between his ears.

Sonia smiled and said, "Mister Tanaka is quite fond of mythology! He has many varied interests and is generally quite well-rounded." She noted that this conversation felt more and more like an interview.

"He is certainly unique," Queen Nevermind said. A knocking could be heard coming through the tinny microphone. "Excuse us for one moment." The king and queen disappeared from the screen, leaving Tanaka and Sonia to stew in a nervous silence. When they reappeared, the queen said, "It seems we are needed elsewhere. Sonia, I will contact you later to tell you our decision. It was a pleasure to meet you, Mister Tanaka."

"Thank you, Mother," Sonia said, blowing her a kiss over the camera.

"Thank you for your time, Missus Nevermind. It was an honor to meet you, as well," Tanaka managed to say.

The queen and king nodded at both students and turned the camera off. Another stretch of silence persisted until Sonia sighed and closed the laptop.

"I apologize, Miss Sonia," Tanaka muttered. "I did not mean to leave a negative impression."

"No, no, you were wonderful!" Sonia said, turning to him and smiling. "It was evident that you were trying your best to impress my parents, and if they cannot appreciate your charms, we will find a way around them."

"Would it not be perilous to incite the wrath of a king and queen?"

"Mister Tanaka, this is not Romeo and Juliet! My parents may get upset with me if they find out, but I assure you that this will not end in a double suicide." She looked down, clutching at one arm. "Just the thought is upsetting... such things may happen in old stories or police dramas, but not in real life! And they haven't approved or disapproved of it yet, so we simply must wait for now."

Tanaka hummed in thought and raised a hand to his collarbone, allowing the Four Kings to scurry into his palm. "As I said, if you feel our mutual ruling of this realm is not beneficial to you, you may back out at any time with my blessing."

"The same to applies to you, of course, but let us not worry about that at the moment!" Sonia put a hand to her chin and said, "Why don't we go get dinner now? We could tell the others the good news, if you're alright with that."

"I do not feel as though I will ever be prepared for Souda's reaction nor the constant heckling that is bound to follow."

Sonia giggled. "That's true, but there isn't much that we can do about that, I suppose. We don't have to tell him directly; he will likely hear it through the... grapevine, was it?"

Tanaka nodded. "We will have to face the repercussions of that in the near future, then." He stood still for a few moments before tucking his hamsters back into his scarf and offering his elbow to Sonia. She looped her arm through it readily and the two headed out, one with a notably ruddy complexion and the other with a spring in her step.

...

Arriving in her dorm the same night, Sonia set her bag down and, noting that Tsumiki wasn't back yet, allowed herself a smile and a celebratory dance. She collapsed onto her bed and faced the ceiling, kicking her feet about and feeling like a little girl. Some of her energy escaped in the form of a contented sigh, and she flipped over to hug her pillow. She was aware that her behavior embodied the image of a typical lovestruck schoolgirl, but she could pardon herself just this once.

She buried her face into the fabric, kicking her feet up in the air again. She was dating Gundam Tanaka! He had finally asked her out after months of getting to know each other, and now she was dating him and he was dating her and this revelation was so amazing to her that she couldn't stop repeating it over and over. She sighed it into her pillow, she heard it like a chant in her mind, and she was likely going to realize it in spurts in the coming days and get excited all over again.

She didn't trouble herself with thoughts of Souda, who could be dealt with later and, frankly, was unlikely to succeed in further attempts at keeping Sonia and Tanaka apart. Because they were dating. Sonia smiled again at the thought.

Eventually, the princess emerged from her reverie and started her homework. It went a bit slower than usual, considering how many breaks she took to stare into space and grin to herself, but she'd completed most of it by the time Tsumiki entered the room.

"Hello, Sonia," the nurse said quietly, padding over to her own bed and setting her supplies down. "Did you have a good day?"

That question opened the floodgate. "Oh, Tsumiki, it was wonderful!" Sonia exclaimed, setting her books aside. "Mister Tanaka and I met in the library after school to speak with my parents on camera, but before that he finally asked me out!"

Tsumiki smiled and said, "That's... that's great, Sonia! I-I'm so happy for you two, and I'm glad he finally worked up the courage." She sighed. "If only I could do that..."

"I'm sure any boy you asked out would say yes! You're very charming in your own way, Miss Tsumiki." Sonia lay on her side, propping her head up with one hand. "Is there anyone that you want to ask out?"

"Well..." The nurse sat down stiffly on her own bed and twiddled her fingers. "Maybe... um, there are actually two in our class that I-I think are very nice, but I can't date multiple people!" She sniffled. "Everyone would think I'm sleazy..."

Sonia shrugged the best she could in her current position. "It's a rather open-minded school, no? Are you okay with telling me who they are?"

Tsumiki whimpered. "I... yes, I can trust you, Sonia, right?" She smiled slightly, as though she already knew the answer but looked for confirmation nonetheless.

"Of course," Sonia replied, smiling back. "I won't tell a soul!"

Tsumiki nodded and looked down at her lap. "Well... I've been seeing Komaeda in the infirmary every day since the start of the school year because he needs constant supervision to make sure his condition doesn't become unstable. And I-I'm not sure if I just talked to him at first because I felt bad for him, but we've been talking a bit more lately and he's really very nice..." She cut herself off, covering her mouth. "Sorry, sorry, I'm rambling!"

"No, not at all!" Sonia said. "You may continue if you like."

"Okay, well... I just feel stupid for having these kind of thoughts about anyone because w-what kind of desperate person would want to date me?" Tsumiki asked, drawing her knees up to her chest. "A-and the other crush is even less likely to happen and you'll probably think I'm weird or something..."

"No, I would never think that!" Sonia protested, sitting up and propping herself against her headboard. "And I feel like any sensible young man would want to date you, Miss Tsumiki. You're kind, hardworking, and you care deeply about others."

Tsumiki fidgeted. "U-um... I do care about others, but I don't know if anybody would want to date me, especially not..." She buried her face into her raised knees and mumbled something.

"Hm?"

She tilted her chin up, took in a shaky breath, and softly exhaled a word that sounded suspiciously like "Souda."

Sonia blinked. "What was that?"

"I-I know it's stupid! Because he likes you and there's no way that he'd want someone like me over a princess, b-but he's so... happy, even though he's been bullied like me, and maybe I just envy him or want to get to know him better or something, but..." She trailed off and groaned. "I-I tried talking to him yesterday, but I stuttered even more than usual and sounded even stupider than usual and I don't deserve to speak with any of you anyway!"

"Tsumiki, do not stress yourself out over it! The fact that you had enough courage to speak with him is a step forward." Sonia shifted and bit her lip. "May I ask when this crush toward Mister Souda developed?"

"Very recently... I-I didn't have anywhere to go for the break, so he and I and a few others went to the beach and talked, and it was really nice; he told me about how the other kids picked on him when he was little, so I could sympathize..." She gasped. "Oh, no, I didn't mean to tell his secret! P-please don't tell anyone that I said that!"

"My lips are sealed," Sonia said with a smile.

Tsumiki lay down and sighed. "I should just stop talking now... I-I'm sorry to waste your time. I really am happy for you and Tanaka, though!"

"You can always speak with me! I will never consider your concerns a waste of time," Sonia replied, turning over onto her stomach and relaxing into her mattress. She hummed in content. "I think I'm quite done with work for tonight regardless."

Tsumiki let out a breathy giggle. "Could you do mine for me, then? I'm exhausted."

"Miss Tsumiki!" Sonia exclaimed, grinning. "You know I cannot do that; we will both get in trouble. I'd love to help, though."

The nurse exhaled softly. "In a few minutes... just let me rest a bit."

The two lay in silence for a few minutes until Tsumiki uttered a hesitant "um" into the still air, catching Sonia's attention. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you! I-I was just wondering if your nightmares have gotten any better lately."

"Ah, yes, that," Sonia muttered, turning over onto her back. "Well, you said that they were likely stress-related, and I did notice that they were more frequent when I went home..." She shook her head and frowned. "I feel so guilty! It is my duty to serve my country; I should not be miserable over the thought of it."

"Well, I can't say I understand the feeling, but I do know that it's normal to feel stress over big responsibilities like that," Tsumiki said, sitting up and rubbing her eyes. "I mean, knowing you're going to be running a whole country must be really, really scary, but... you can do it, Sonia!" she cheered, causing the princess to startle at the abrupt raise in her voice. "Oh, I'm sorry, I did it again! I-I just mean that you're obviously very well-suited for the job... and I know you'll be great at it." She smiled. "So don't stress yourself out. Or, um, I don't mean to tell you what to do, but at least try not to...?"

Sonia giggled. "Thank you, Miss Tsumiki. I appreciate it."

"You're welcome," she murmured, the phrase sounding almost foreign to her. She snickered after a moment. "I... I'm sure being with _Tanaka_ will make you less stressed, right?"

"Tsumiki!" Sonia gasped, mouth breaking into a smile. "Do I detect some innuendo?"

"Oh, no! Oh, no, I'm sorry!" The nurse took a pillow from underneath her head and buried her face in it.

"No, it's fine! Please don't apologize again," Sonia said. She sighed and walked over to her roommate, standing over her with her hands on her hips. Then, with a small smile, she began to tickle Tsumiki's sides.

"No!" she squealed from under the fabric, giggling and kicking her feet about. The pillow found its way off the bed as Tsumiki clutched her sides, trying to pull Sonia's hands away through her laughter. "Okay, I'm... I'm not..." she snorted, "I'm not sorry...?"

"That is correct!" Sonia said, pulling her hands away. She giggled. "I like this side of you, Miss Tsumiki."

The nurse took a few deep breaths and tried to stop herself from laughing. "I... I'm not sure how to respond to that." She blinked. "Thank you?"

"Correct again!" the princess said. "Now, shall we start on that homework?"

Tsumiki sighed and sat up. "I guess that would be for the best," she said as she hauled her backpack off the ground. They sat down at their shared desk and began working, often interrupted by more silliness that made the whole process longer but less painful. Both went to bed after getting out the last of their giggles, and when Sonia woke up the next morning, she couldn't recall any bad dreams.


	9. Chapter 9

King Nevermind stared at the canopy hanging above his bed and sighed. His wife didn't respond, so he cleared his throat.

The queen set her work down and said, "Yes?"

"Should we speak about Sonia now?" the king asked, sitting up in bed. "I've had some time to think about it over the day and I don't know if I like where this young Tanaka might lead her."

"And why is that?"

"Did you hear how he kept going on about the underworld and Cerebrus and other such nonsense? I don't know if he's perhaps delusional or just keenly interested in mythology, but Sonia doesn't need any more silly stories clogging her mind; she's already taken an interest in reading books about spirits and demons. I'm a bit worried, frankly."

"I do agree that he's quite unusual," Sonia's mother said, furrowing her brow slightly. "But what about the other boys that Sonia has dated? For example... let's see, I believe his name was Daniel Forgetaboutit. He was very interested in German books from the nineteenth century and quoted them, in their native language, constantly."

"Is it possible that Sonia is especially attracted to particularly strange boys?" Mister Nevermind muttered to himself.

"I suppose so, but her dating habits could also stem from her wishes to expand her worldview from the small country she's always lived in; she likes getting to know people whose interests are unusual to her so she can learn more of the diverse cultures in the world."

"She's also lucky to have such an open-minded mother," King Nevermind said, smiling slightly. "Are you suggesting we should let her date this Tanaka, then? I don't have a very good feeling about him; he generally seemed harmless, despite all the crazy talk, but I worry about how it might affect Sonia. He's already coerced her into one publicity stunt, and with his grandiose and confusing manner of speech, there's no telling what else he may persuade her into."

"I agree that the video was a bit much," Queen Nevermind nodded, "but she has promised not to post any more, and I trust her personal judgement in other matters." She pointedly raised an eyebrow.

Her husband sighed. "I'll have to sleep on it, I suppose. I don't think he's a bad person, just a bit... eccentric."

Sonia's mother smiled. "Do you remember what you were like as a teenager?"

"... Let's drop the subject. Good night."

A chuckle. "Good night, dear."

...

"I said good _night,_ Souda," Tanaka hissed, rolling over to face the wall.

"No, no, not good night!" the mechanic said, jumping over to his roommate's bed and rolling him back over. "You're not datin' Sonia, right? The rumors I heard were just rumors?"

"I already told you that I shall not be answering such inquiries," Tanaka replied, sitting up to push Souda off the bed before laying back down. "Go to sleep."

"But..." Tanaka could hear the sound of heavy breathing coming from the floor. "But if you're not answering, then the answer must be that you are, which is..." A muffled sob sounded before Tanaka found his face wrenched up to meet snarling, sharp teeth that filled his blurry vision. _Never turn your back on a cornered animal,_ he reminded himself, though he was sure that Souda wouldn't do anything rash.

Pretty sure.

He pushed the mechanic away just to be safe and tensed, ready for an attack. As his vision cleared, he could see the light from the moon illuminating the watery sheen in Souda's eyes.

"You bastard," Souda spat, clenching his trembling hands into fists. "You shouldn't date her, you shouldn't even be allowed to be around her, you..." he cut himself off, rubbing his eyes and cursing under his breath.

"I do not need to listen to you insult me," Tanaka said, voice steady. "Calm yourself."

"No, I..." The mechanic's voice cracked, and he swore again before standing up and leaving the room, slamming the door behind him. Tanaka flinched, sighed, and took a few moments to calm himself before he lay back down. He knew that Souda wouldn't handle the news well, but he wasn't expecting such a strong mix of hatred, rage, and grief; he had almost looked as though he was ready to strangle Tanaka at one moment before he broke down.

The breeder, though he knew it was ridiculous, felt almost afraid for his safety and said a brief prayer before closing his eyes. The euphoria from the day's events was still present, but he felt a slight guilt creeping in around the edges of his mind. It was preposterous. Souda had never treated him with anything but contempt, and Tanaka did the same, so there was no reason to feel anything but joy over the fact that he was... dating... Sonia Nevermind.

He scoffed aloud at such a ridiculous term; though "courting" was considered an old-fashioned word, Tanaka much preferred it. Yes, he was courting Sonia Nevermind, princess and future queen of Novoselic, which was how it should be for an esteemed figure such as himself.

Yet Souda's words wormed their way into Tanaka's mind along with the guilt, fitting into the cracks in his happiness and pulling it apart as he asked himself: _Am I really worthy of courting such a noble young woman? Who am I to put anyone, regardless of how he has treated me, in such an agonizing position?_ Tanaka sighed again and sat up, staring at the slit of pale light dashed across the wall of his bedroom. _No, Souda is simply overreacting. I am not harming him; he is harming himself with his obsession over Miss Sonia._

Tanaka knew that said obsession would cause the mechanic to interfere with the relationship between him and Sonia, but he had to hope that Souda's resolve would wear off over time. Perhaps Tanaka could brainwash him or mix a substance that would cause him to fall in love with someone else. Potion making wasn't his field of expertise, but all one had to do was find an ancient text, gather ingredients, and follow directions; surely it couldn't be that difficult.

Despite his plans to "help" Souda, Tanaka still found that he couldn't fall asleep for quite some time that night; his mind brewed a mix of good and bad thoughts as he looked ahead toward all the memories he could make with Sonia as well as all the challenges he would have to face with Souda, but the concoction eventually came to a peaceful simmer as Tanaka drifted to the world of the unconscious.

...

Souda hunched over, mouth covered with one hand to muffle his sobs, as made his way over to the reserve building. He didn't know if curfew had passed yet or not, but he didn't care; he needed to talk to someone, and Hinata always listened. His jumpsuit didn't do much to protect him against the January cold, so his legs sped up until he broke into a frantic sprint, and he could feel the tear lines freezing on his face and he _knew_ he was being melodramatic but he didn't _care,_ he didn't, he just needed to talk to Hinata and everything would be okay.

Except it wouldn't, because Tanaka was dating Sonia and that meant that nothing would be okay until they broke up.

The thought wrenched another sob from Souda's throat as he threw open the door to the reserve building and stumbled up a flight of stairs to Hinata's room, feeling drained of energy. He slowed to a stop in front of the right door, rubbed his eyes, and knocked.

"Who is it?" a surprised voice called after a moment.

"It's Souda," the mechanic croaked. Shit, he sounded awful.

"Souda? But it's past curfew," the same voice said, more to itself than anyone else. The door opened to reveal Hinata, whose mouth went slack upon seeing the state of his friend. "Hey, are you okay? You... don't look so good," he said, evidently trying to avoid a more insulting description.

"No, I'm not okay," Souda mumbled, sniffling. "Can I come in?"

"Well..." Hinata cast a glance over his shoulder into the dark room. "My roommate's trying to sleep right now. Can we talk out here as long as we make it quick? I don't want to get us in trouble."

"Okay." Souda slumped against the wall and slid down until he was sitting with his knees to his chest. His lip trembled, and he sniffed loudly to hold back more tears.

Hinata hesitated for a moment before he put a hand on his friend's shoulder and asked, "What's the matter?"

"Yeah, like you don't already know?" the mechanic said, drawing his knees in even closer as he wrapped his arms around his legs. "You probably just didn't tell me because you knew I'd be like this."

"Um..." Hinata fumbled for words for a moment because, of course, Souda was right; if he was thinking of the correct event, then yes, Sonia and Tanaka had happily told a few close friends about their new relationship and the news spread from there, but Hinata was hoping it wouldn't reach Souda so quickly. "Are you talking about Sonia and Tanaka?"

Souda nodded, lower lip wobbling again.

"Well..." Hinata sighed. "I'm gonna be honest, I don't really know what to tell you. I know you really like her, but if you make her break up with Tanaka, she'll just be miserable." _And she'll probably resent you for the rest of our time in high school,_ he added mentally. "Why don't you just wait it out? Most high school relationships don't really last that long, anyways."

"I guess you're right," Souda mumbled, rubbing at one eye. "But... why him? He's loud and annoying and acts like he's better than everyone and he dresses like an idiot and his hair is so_ stupid!_"

_Kinda sounds like someone else I know,_ Hinata mused. Making smart comments to himself was one of the only ways he could cope with the constant amount of people talking to him about their problems.

"And he's mean and he won't treat her right and he'll give her rabies and..."

"Souda," Hinata interjected, "Tanaka doesn't have rabies. You just need to deal with the fact that Sonia sees something you don't and leave it at that." He thought back on his own time with the breeder and said, "He's really not that bad of a guy, y'know. You just have to stop being so hostile toward him."

"How could you say that?" Souda wailed, swatting his friend's hand away. Hinata shushed him. "Whose side are you on, anyway?" the mechanic hissed, voice still not low enough.

"I'm not on anyone's side, I just want you all to get along and stop fighting over petty things!"

"A _princess_ is not petty!"

Hinata pinched the bridge of his nose and shut his eyes. "Okay. Just... take some time to calm down, alright? And try to get over her. If they break up eventually, then great for you. If not, then you'll have to deal with it."

Souda groaned and pushed himself onto his feet. "It's not that easy, Hinata. You're lucky that the girl you like actually likes you back." He turned away. "You couldn't possibly understand how I feel right now," he said, walking down the hallway with his gaze trained onto his own shoes.

Once he was out of sight, Hinata let out an exhale through his teeth and went back into his room. He didn't ask to deal with all this drama, and it was obvious that Souda was blowing the whole situation out of proportion; hopefully everything would be back to normal soon. The reserve student was thrilled at the opportunity to be placed with such a unique group of his peers, but spending all day in such an environment got very tiring very quickly, especially when none of them could leave him alone.

Not that he was complaining about being popular, but knowing what made everyone tick made it very difficult for him to take sides in a situation like this; both Tanaka and Souda had already suffered so much, and both deserved to be happy, but Souda would evidently have to find a way to be happy without Sonia.

Flicking his shoes off, Hinata fell backwards into his bed with a soft _oof_ and decided to think more on the matter later. Preferably never, but he supposed he'd have to deal with it for a long time to come until Souda finally got past his crush.

...

The next day, Souda didn't acknowledge Tanaka as both boys got ready for school. Of course, such was the norm, but the silence between the two was even more tense than usual; Tanaka could occasionally feel a burning glare directed at his back, but when he looked, Souda was the one with his back turned away.

Tanaka wasn't looking forward to many more weeks of this. He quickly made plans to go to the library after school to find a book on potion making; the possibility of Sonia joining him crossed his mind, but he didn't want to bother her with such trivial matters. Perhaps Hinata could help; though his power levels were pitiful, he showed promise and a willingness to learn.

But he was getting ahead of himself. First, they had to wait for Sonia's parents to allow them to date; though the princess claimed that she would continue dating Tanaka even if her parents forbid it, he couldn't believe that such deception would reflect well on her if the king and queen did find out. He couldn't put her in such a dangerous position.

As it turned out, he didn't have much to worry about; after two days of classes, two afternoons spent researching in the library, and two evenings spent with Souda's glare burning into his skin, Sonia's parents gave them permission to continue courtship. Sonia had been so excited that she threw her arms around Tanaka the moment she shut her laptop, which resulted in the usual amounts of stuttering, apologies, and hidden smiles.

Then Sonia immediately said that she was going to plan their first date and went off giggling to herself. Evidently, she was not one for tradition, which was fine with Tanaka; he wouldn't have the first clue what a date entitled, anyway.

So he enlisted Hinata into making a love potion instead.

Plopping some ancient texts onto a table with the quietest slam possible, Tanaka said, "Now, we shall begin the ritual! I have spent my recent nights poring over these documents, and I have selected only the most promising and potent for our purposes."

Hinata sat down at the table and crossed his arms, trying not to comment on Tanaka's alliteration. "Can't we just wait for Souda to develop a crush on someone else?"

"Unacceptable and, furthermore, impossible. The princess's charms are too strong for the effects of such a 'crush' to wear off so soon. Now," Tanaka said, flipping through the smallest tome, "this potion has readily accessible ingredients: three hearts of rose, three silver spoonfuls of honey and of brandy..."

"Woah, hey, we're not gonna give Souda any alcohol!" Hinata protested. "Can't we just... substitute that for something else?" _Or maybe not make it at all? I doubt it'll work,_ he thought, almost sighing aloud.

"No, we cannot. The potion will not work." Tanaka shut one book and moved on to the next. "Ha, such minor setbacks are nothing to one so prepared as I! Perhaps this tea recipe will be more suitable: rosemary, lemon leaves, rose petals, nutmeg..."

"That sounds pretty good," Hinata muttered to himself. "But I can't really imagine Souda as a tea-drinker."

"We will simply have to infect him with the demons of illness and tell him to drink the potion to better the deadly ailment."

"No."

Tanaka and Hinata glared at each other before backing down. Tanaka looked off to the side and said, "It is almost as though you are not properly _honored_ to have been chosen by me for this mission. Very few have gained my trust, and the fact that are you sitting before me as I discuss these plans demonstrates that you are one of those few."

"Yes, I understand that, and I am honored to have your trust... I guess... but," Hinata cleared his throat, "I don't think this is the best way to help Souda. Forcing things along won't make anything better."

"Then what solution do you propose?"

Hinata put a hand to his chin and, after a moment, said, "What if we get him to be friends with more people so his mind will be off Sonia? Maybe we could get him around a few of the girls and see if he likes any of them instead."

Tanaka hummed in thought and said, "Perhaps. I should not be directly involved in such affairs, however; it would raise suspicion from the disagreeable one." His gaze redirected to the book laid out on the table. "A magical brew would require less work on your part, you realize."

"Yeah," Hinata sighed, "but I think I should at least give the other plan a shot. I..." He ran a hand over his eyes. "I guess we could try the potion if it takes too long or isn't working."

Tanaka chuckled triumphantly. "Very well, mortal. I accept your proposal." He thrust out a hand, which Hinata took hesitantly. "The contract has been sealed!"

Hinata's hand disconnected from Tanaka's to rest on the table. "So how are things with you and Sonia, anyway?"

"Matters are moving along quite well, I believe." The breeder finally sat down and said, "Miss Sonia has already begun to formulate our first outing as king and queen of the spirit realm! It is evident that she is eager to embark on such ventures, as any worthy lady would be in her desirable position."

"Uh-huh," Hinata said, elbow propped on the table to support his head. He smiled. "Have you guys kissed yet?"

The reserve student's snickers drowned out Tanaka's protests until the breeder went silent, red in the face, and wondered where he could find better friends.

...

If there was one thing that Tanaka knew about humans, it was that their fragile bodies could only last on solid, temperate land. Perhaps they could take to the water for a while, perhaps they could handle excessive heat or cold given the proper resources, but of all possible activities, humans were not meant to skate on ice.

Sonia seemed to share these thoughts upon taking her first few shaky steps on the ice and clutching her boyfriend's arm with one hand for support, but she was evidently hellbent on having a good time and refused to admit her reluctance.

"Mister Tanaka, I have always wanted to try ice skating! It's rather mild in Novoselic year-round due to the nearby ocean, you see, but I have always seen the professionals moving with such grace and wished to try my hand at imitating them." She slid one foot forward and slowly lifted the other, causing the couple to travel a minimal distance forward. "They make it look so easy," she sighed.

Tanaka wobbled even standing in place and, though he wouldn't admit it, felt as though he needed Sonia's support more than he needed hers. "I have never understood the purpose of this activity," he grumbled, stepping forward and almost falling over. Sonia tightened her grip around his arm to help anchor him and only ended up sliding further along the rink.

"Perhaps we need someone to teach us the proper technique," she said, wrapping both arms around Tanaka's elbow once both students had stopped moving. He would have noticed the contact more if his concentration wasn't focused on staying upright.

That didn't mean that his face wasn't red, nonetheless.

"Do you notice how those two are moving their feet?" Sonia said, pointing at a couple holding hands and skating in sync. "They're pointed... outward a bit," she observed, doing so with her own skates and taking a few hesitant steps forward. Tanaka stayed at her side, trying to follow her movements but feeling as though he was being dragged along more than anything else.

After taking about ten minutes to make a path halfway around the rink, some kind soul finally approached the two and offered help. Tanaka would be sure to spare him in his coming reign. "So, you stand with your feet like this..." the man said, demonstrating, "like you two were earlier. If you're beginners, maybe you should let go of each other so you don't knock the other off balance." Sonia released Tanaka's arm somewhat hesitantly. The man noticed this and smirked.

Tanaka retracted his earlier declaration of mercy. Not that he'd said anything out loud, of course, but he was sure that his glare spoke volumes.

Refraining from further comment, the man continued, "And you just slide your foot forward at kind of an angle and then do the same with the other." He took a few effortless steps and said, "It takes some practice, so try not to get discouraged." The smirk returned. "And try not to drag your girlfriend down with you, okay?"

Tanaka's glare deepened. Sonia simply smiled and said, "Thank you! I fear I am the one who will 'take him down,' as a matter of fact, so I will be sure not to rely on him for support."

Damn. Damn this man to the deepest pits in the lowest circle of hell.

And he simply waved and skated away, as though he hadn't just split up the two future rulers of the world. Tanaka huffed and skated forward, noting that it was a bit easier to move without someone hanging onto him but still clinging to the wall for support.

"Wasn't he so nice, Mister Tanaka?" Sonia beamed, one hand poised delicately against the wall as she skated forward, still stumbling slightly. How she managed to look elegant while struggling so was beyond even Tanaka's comprehension. He simply grunted in response, and the two focused in silence for a few more minutes until they could move somewhat confidently on the ice. Sonia checked behind her every so often to assure that her boyfriend hadn't fallen behind, but she turned around just as quickly before Tanaka could see the smile on her lips.

The silence had stretched on for too long, and Tanaka attempted to make conversation. "Were you aware," he began, "that no other animal skates in this manner? The closest comparison in nature is the Gerridae, which utilizes the water's surface tension to move quickly along ponds and other stagnant bodies of water. However, in dealing with frozen water, most animals of the Arctic and Antarctic simply have adaptations that allow them to walk along the ice or to slide on their stomachs without freezing their skin."

Sonia cast a playful glance over her shoulder before looking forward to keep her balance. "Mister Tanaka, are you suggesting that perhaps this is a silly thing that humans invented?"

"Perhaps, yes," he echoed. "I certainly don't see a practical purpose."

"Would you prefer sliding around on your stomach?" she giggled.

He paused. "It would certainly be easier, and paying homage to the penguin living each day in such a position would show these two-legged beasts how nature properly adapts to its surroundings, but..." He looked around, frowning slightly as he adjusted his scarf. "I refuse to degrade myself in public in such a manner. What would these simple-minded creatures think if they were to witness such a spectacle coming from the Ascendant Ruler of Ice?"

"I was joking, Mister Tanaka!" Sonia said, slowing down so he could rejoin her side. She smiled and continued the conversation, relieved to talk about such a lighthearted subject. "It would be quite a bit easier to slide around on one's stomach, but how could we gain enough traction to push ourselves along?"

"Hah, a simpler solution could not be found if you asked me how the peacock attracts a mate! We must simply look to the penguin with its webbed feet, immune to the biting ice that would quickly freeze fragile human toes." Tanaka looked down to the ice thoughtfully, arms spread to keep him upright. "Perhaps one could invent a shoe that permits humans to gain traction when pushing themselves on their torsos, but we could never hope to have the grace or ease that arctic birds do." He smiled softly. "And we would look ridiculous."

Sonia laughed and skated in silence for a time, content to gradually gain more confidence on the ice. After noting that both she and Tanaka seemed a bit more steady, she took a deep breath and grabbed onto his arm once more; he tensed slightly but didn't pull away, and the two continued forward at a steady pace. The man from earlier could be heard snickering as he passed by, and Tanaka threw him a halfhearted glare before refocusing his gaze firmly to his feet.

Even if he was the Ascendant Ruler of Ice, that didn't make skating on the stuff any easier.

As more time passed in the peaceful silence that came with concentration, the sun's rays dashed deeper and deeper shades of orange onto the ice until every skater was covered in a rosy glow. Tanaka peeked over to his right to see Sonia's flushed cheeks further brightened by the overlay of color, and her eyes glinted as she turned to him with a smile. He quickly looked away, sure that the same sunset was exaggerating the blush that always appeared when he was confronted with such high concentrations of beauty in such a small individual.

"Is something on your mind, Mister Tanaka?" the same individual asked. Tanaka could feel her eyes still on him and glanced back to her.

"No, nothing of substance," he muttered. "I... was merely wondering if you will be able to continue this endeavor once Apollo has plucked his creation from the sky." He paused. "Of course, my superior night vision could easily guide you, but did you not mention another engagement later tonight?"

"Yes, I did!" Sonia said, squeezing Tanaka's arm softly. "I recently heard of a most intriguing restaurant and thought that we should go together. We may leave whenever you are ready!"

He nodded but, not wanting to seem too eager to leave, skated aimlessly until the sun was nothing but half a crimson circle in the sky before asking Sonia if she wished to go eat. She nodded and led Tanaka off the ice, where he gratefully took off his skates and put his boots back on as quickly as possible. Once the rental skates were returned, the couple headed to the address that Sonia had written down; both seemed visibly relieved to walk normally again.

"I apologize if that was uncomfortable," the princess said, rubbing her gloved hands together. "It was foolish of me to think that skating on such a slippery surface would be easy, but I think we both improved tremendously!"

Tanaka grunted in agreement and stuck his own hands in his pockets. "Perhaps I underestimated the difficulty as well, but I have gained a new respect for our arctic brethren who face such conditions with ease. Apologies are therefore unnecessary."

"I hope you enjoyed yourself, at the least! Even if we couldn't slide on our stomachs," Sonia smiled.

"I am sure it is impossible for any outing you plan to be unpleasant, Miss Sonia," Tanaka said, burrowing his chin into his muffler. He quickly added, "What type of culinary establishment did you find so intriguing?"

Sonia's eyes widened in excitement to reflect the streetlights as she said, "I heard of it from Mister Swindler! He has eaten at many unique restaurants and he told me that this one was particularly gruesome, so naturally I was intrigued..." She put her hands over her mouth and chuckled. "I suppose you will find out the details once we arrive! We should be there shortly."

Tanaka raised an eyebrow but didn't comment.

...

"That was not quite what I was expecting."

"..."

"Mister Tanaka, are you okay?"

"I will live."

"The handcuffs were a bit much... and I didn't realize that so many alcoholic beverages would be served."

"I believe that the waitresses posing as medical attendants were the most... disturbing."

A sigh. "Well, I was given a fair warning of the content, but I assumed it would only involve violence, which I know you and I can handle. I did not realize that it would be so distasteful in other aspects."

"The cuisine was acceptable."

"Yes, the intestine was quite delicious!"

"I fervently hope that they did not harvest the actual organs of an innocent creature for such a dish."

"No, I think it was some type of sausage."

A pause.

"Perhaps you should choose the restaurant next time."

...

Tanaka walked Sonia back to her dorm in a tense silence. Both students were obviously a bit shaken by what they had seen at the Alcatraz-themed restaurant, and neither knew how to start up a conversation that didn't involve nurse waitresses prodding at patrons with oversized needles.

As they neared the dorm, Sonia sighed and said, "I apologize for tonight. A more thorough look into that establishment could have avoided that unpleasant experience."

"Do not trouble yourself over it," Tanaka said. "It was nonetheless a... unique ordeal that I shall not soon forget."

Sonia smiled, but her brow seemed tense. "Yes, we do tend to remember bad things for longer, do we not?"

"Sonia, I do not possess the extensive knowledge of humans that I do of animals, but I do know that they bond through difficult experiences." Tanaka halted in front of the door to the girls' dorm and said, "In surviving the hellish and... uncomfortably provocative bowels of that environment as well as in braving the ice, we have further bonded. You therefore could not have planned a more ideal first outing."

The tension in the princess's brow lessened slightly, and her smile widened. "Really?"

Tanaka nodded, a small smile of his own twitching at his mouth. He stood silently, arms crossed, figuring that he had said his piece. Sonia appeared deep in thought but eventually nodded in return and said, "Well, I appreciate your kind words, Mister Tanaka! Perhaps you should plan our outing next time, though." She laughed. "I did have fun, regardless, and I hope you could do the same!"

He nodded once more and let his arms rest at his sides. "Indeed. I am sure I will be unable to come up with such a creative itinerary, yet I will persevere in crafting the ideal outing for my most noble queen or I am not fit to call myself Gundam Tanaka, the future ruler of the underworld!"

"I look forward to it, then!" Sonia said, rubbing at her arms to keep them warm. "It's quite cold out, so I'm going to head inside. I'll see you tomorrow in class!"

"Yes. Have a restful night, my lady."

Sonia stood fidgeting for a few moments before slowly moving in to give Tanaka a brief hug. He tensed and, after a beat of silence, gave her a single pat on the back. She giggled as she pulled away and said, "Good night, Mister Tanaka."

He held the door open, and she directed her luminescent smile toward him as she walked inside, waving to him after she crossed the threshold. He shut the door softly and watched her through the glass for a moment before reluctantly turning away.

His euphoria almost negated Souda's accusatory silence upon his return to the dorm.


	10. Chapter 10

When Hinata walked into class the next day and saw Souda sulking by the window again, he knew that getting him to speak to anyone, much less make friends with the others, would be a task of Herculean proportion. The reserve student sighed and took a moment to gather his patience before taking his usual seat.

"Hey, Souda," he began cautiously. "How are you today?"

The head of pink hair splayed out on the desktop responded with a muffled groan.

Hinata sighed through his teeth again. "Yeah, I figured." He tapped his fingers on his desk and said, "Well, hey, Nanami and I are planning to go out with a few people after classes today. Do you want to come with us and maybe take your mind off things?"

Souda turned his head so one side of his face was visible and the other was smushed against his desktop. Hinata struggled not to laugh at what would have otherwise been an intimidating glare. "What, is it one big date or somethin'? Are you gonna rub your couple-ness in my face?" the mechanic grumbled.

"No, no!" Hinata said, holding his hands up defensively. "We're just going to walk around town with the swindler and Mioda and maybe go to a café or something. It's not a date or anything."

"Oh, please," Souda muttered. "Those two are basically dating with the... cutesy nicknames and the hugging and stuff."

Hinata blinked. "That's how Mioda acts around everyone."

Souda buried his face into his arms, and Hinata had to listen closely to make out a sentence about only wanting to be around Sonia.

_Well, this is going great,_ Hinata thought, almost sighing for a third time before catching himself. _I need to keep trying, though, or Tanaka will probably poison him by mistake._ "Look, I know you're upset," he said aloud, "but sitting around and feeling miserable isn't going to help. Being around other people when you're sad can actually make you feel better, y'know?"

The pink head of hair reluctantly lifted itself up, and a pair of matching pink eyes blinked tiredly at Hinata. "No, I don't know. I usually work on my machines when I feel like crap, but I don't even have the energy to do that."

Hinata released how contagious Souda's lethargy was when he let out a yawn, but he quickly muffled it and said, "C'mon, can you just try? I'm..." He paused, trying to find the right words. "I'm worried about you, okay? It can't be good for you to just think about her all the time, and it's just for a few hours."

Souda rested his cheek in his hand and sighed before saying, "I'll think about it."

...

Once Tanaka had been informed of Souda's departure from the school, the breeder almost immediately coerced Sonia into going up to the library with him; he was grateful for an opportunity to spend time with her without constantly throwing paranoid glances over his shoulder, expecting to see a flash of pink and green quickly fading from sight.

"I'm so glad that Mister Souda is finally going out with the others," Sonia said, unknowingly echoing Tanaka's thoughts. "He has seemed so down in the lumps lately."

"Yes, the lumps," Tanaka muttered absentmindedly. A small smile twitched at his mouth as he pulled a chair out for the princess, and she sat with one of her own. Tanaka took his usual seat across the small table and shifted, suddenly unsure how to start a casual conversation; he'd never been fond of small talk but nonetheless searched through his mental archives of the conversation starters others used to speak with him in the past. "How was your day, Miss Sonia?" he finally said.

"It was rather average, I should say," she replied, folding her hands on the tabletop. Her smile reached her eyes as she said, "Thinking of our date did improve the particularly dull parts of the lessons, however."

Tanaka fidgeted as he slowly digested Sonia's words, feeling his cheeks grow warm. He managed to force out something about how the feeling was mutual before bringing out Jum-P to distract him from his embarrassment.

"As we were speaking about Souda a few moments ago, however, I realized something," Sonia began, a playful yet vaguely dangerous gleam in her eyes. "Mister Tanaka, how often do you interact with others besides myself and Mister Hinata?"

Tanaka froze in the middle of petting Jum-P, and the hamster nuzzled itself against his hand in protest. "Not often," he replied, feeling apprehensive about where the conversation was headed. "They have expressed little interest in learning of the complicated rituals, the depraved comings and goings of Gundam Tanaka, and surely they are better off for it."

"I wouldn't be so sure," Sonia said. "I find you quite intriguing, as I am sure you know, Mister Tanaka! I think the others would open up to you if they knew of how fascinating those comings and goings really are."

"Ridiculous," Tanaka muttered, touching a finger to Jum-P's soft head. "You and the oft-disgruntled one are the only of your kind who have ever reached out to me; I doubt the others would find me interesting, for their small and narrow minds could not possibly _begin_ to comprehend the details of such a rich yet cursed existence! It is better for both parties to remain separate."

Sonia smiled down at the hamster for a moment. "But Mister Tanaka, I have gotten to know many of our classmates quite well and they are all lovely people! I am sure they would love to hear your stories if you just opened up to them."

Tanaka grunted and thought for a few moments, taking out Sun-D for Sonia to hold. She accepted the hamster with gratitude and nuzzled it softly to her cheek. "Who is to say that they will not exploit me once I have 'opened up?'" Tanaka asked after several more beats of silence.

A pause. "I suppose there is no way to guarantee that every one of our classmates is honest, but the individuals that I know are very good friends who I do not believe would ever intend to harm others. Perhaps I should get you acquainted with the most trustworthy ones first?"

Tanaka grimaced. "Am I being forced into said acquaintanceship?"

"Not forced, just... strongly encouraged," Sonia said with a smile. She ran a finger through Sun-D's fur, who had run around sniffing at her hand before curling up to shut its eyes. "I believe it would be good for you to get to know the others now that we have spent so many months in classes together! You don't have to if it is outside your area of comfort, however."

Tucking Jum-P onto his shoulder, Tanaka let out a soft sigh and said, "Who did you have in mind?"

...

How Hanamura was trustworthy in any conceivable way was far beyond Tanaka's comprehension.

Sonia's justification was that he had been very helpful in his cooking lesson before Souda and Hinata interrupted and he had left in a boiling rage. She had also giggled at her own pun, and Tanaka couldn't turn her down after that.

Damn her for being so cute.

Regardless, that was how he ended up with Hanamura leering at him from across a cafeteria table as the chef took a break before his shift in the kitchen. As he stonily met Hanamura's gaze, Tanaka was reminded of the incident with the air mattress and shivered. He was very glad of Sonia's presence at his side as Hanamura's grin grew at the breeder's discomfort.

"So, you wanna be friends, huh, Tanaka?" the chef said, finally breaking the tense silence.

"Not particu-_oof!_" Tanaka rubbed at his side as Sonia's elbow withdrew from a jab. "...Yes. Indeed, I wish to form some sort of bond, but be warned that a relationship with a godly figure such as myself will transcend mere mortal notions of 'friendship.' You must-"

"Ooh, no, don't say any more! I'm sold!" Hanamura eagerly took Tanaka's hand from across the table, ignoring the other man's sputters of protest as he shook. He withdrew with a gleam in his eyes far different from any ever seen in Sonia's and twice as dangerous. "So, why don't we meet somewhere after my shift and you can tell me what I must do, _friend?_"

The last word was tinged with such ill intent that the Dark Gods emerged from their hiding spot to squeak angrily across the table. Cham-P nuzzled defensively against Tanaka's neck and bared his teeth.

Tanaka stood up immediately. "The Four Gods have expressed their thoughts on this matter. I must honor their request and take my leave." He walked briskly away, and Sonia hopped up to follow, brows furrowed.

"Hey, wait, come back! 'M sorry!" Hanamura called, but Tanaka continued to take wide strides until he was safely out of the cafeteria.

"Mister Tanaka, wait for me!" Sonia's heels clicked rhythmically against the ground as she sped up. "What is the matter? It was quite rude to leave without even a goodbye!"

"Could you not feel the malice seeping from his very pores?" Tanaka asked, turning around to face the princess. "The dark spirits of lust swirling about his head, the sharp stabs of the heinous words dancing about his tongue, the -"

"Mister Tanaka, you must teach me how to sense such spirits!" Sonia interjected with a smile. She cleared her throat. "But yes, perhaps Hanamura is a bit too... forward for your tastes. I do not really understand half the things he says, anyway, or why the others react with such disgust to them." She turned to the left and began walking, motioning for Tanaka to follow. "Nonetheless, let us try someone else. I am sure you will take to my dear roommate, at least!"

...

Tsumiki stared up at Tanaka.

Tanaka stared back down at Tsumiki, who was beginning to tremble.

Sonia sighed quietly and forced a smile before saying, "Now, I am sure that the two of you know each other from class, but I believe you could be good friends if you just chatted for a bit! I know you're busy at the moment, Miss Tsumiki, but would you be interested in such an arrangement at a later date?"

"U-um," Tsumiki began, "well, yes, I think, if Tanaka wouldn't mind..." Another nurse tapped her on the shoulder, and she spun around with a squeak. She was handed a clipboard and apologized for her outburst before looking at the papers. "Oh, Nidai, your results are in!" She scurried over to the coach sitting in one of the waiting room's chairs and examined the writing more closely; her face lit up as she read. "Your heart is in excellent condition, and your lung capacity has improved tremendously. Everything looks great!" Tsumiki looked up and directed a genuine, relieved smile to Nidai. "Just keep up your exercise regimen and your cardiovascular system should remain healthy for many years."

Nidai replied with a beaming grin and stood up, giving the thin nurse the most gentle and least bone-crushing hug possible. Komaeda, sitting some distance away and waiting for his own results, chuckled and sneaked over to give Tsumiki a hug from behind. She squealed and tried to wiggle out to no avail. "O-okay, um..." She sighed, face flushed, and turned her head toward the bemused couple across the room. "I'm sorry, Tanaka, I'm a bit busy, as you can s-" Komaeda started tickling her sides and the rest of her sentence was lost to a fit of giggles.

Sonia raised a hand to her mouth as she chuckled along and then turned toward the door. "We can discuss it later, Miss Tsumiki!" she called. A grin played on her features as she added, "Have fun!"

...

Saionji was out of the question. Tanaka did not like the way she looked at the Dark Gods.

Koizumi, on the other hand, had encouraged him to stop playing with fluffy little balls of fur and carry around a more "manly" pet, like a reptile, but she quickly forgot the matter once she saw Cham-P and instead began reprimanding Tanaka for letting his hamsters get so out of shape.

He bristled under the verbal assault and said, "Evidently you know little of the noble Syrian breed. They are the largest and most powerful breed of hamster, and Invading Black Dragon Cham-P has been so expertly bred by myself that he could easily rip your eyes out if he so desired."

As Koizumi blanched, unsure how to respond, Sonia clasped her hands together and gazed adoringly at the oversized hamster perched on Tanaka's shoulder. "Wow! That's radical! I have held the single most fearsome hamster known to mankind!" She cupped her hands next to Cham-P, who scampered into them and was then raised up to the princess's face to bop noses.

Koizumi snickered. "Wow, I guess he's not as vicious as you think, huh?"

"Do not be fooled," Tanaka growled. "He could kill at any moment but is lulled by Miss Sonia's charms."

"Just like you are, I'm sure?" Koizumi said, smiling innocently.

"...Silence your blaspheming mouth."

...

Owari was preoccupied with her dinner when Tanaka and Sonia sought her out, and she only stopped to complain of Nidai's harsh training regimens before digging in again and ignoring further attempts at conversation. Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama were nowhere to be found, which was fine with Tanaka; though he would never admit it to Sonia, the duo intimidated him along with most everyone else in the school.

Returning to the cafeteria, the couple sat with their dinners and assessed the results of the afternoon.

"Well," Sonia said, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin, "I believe you interacted with everyone besides those that are otherwise occupied! Did you find anyone interesting?"

"I was already aware that the impish one would not be agreeable. Her treatment of the Dark Gods is irreverent and honestly somewhat disturbing," Tanaka replied, absentmindedly feeding Maga-G a small carrot. "And Koizumi has never been the agreeable sort, either. The two compliment each other quite well."

Sonia began to roll her eyes before stopping herself. Perhaps she had been spending a bit too much time with Koizumi if she was picking up on such habits. "I will agree that Miss Saionji could hardly be considered the most polite, but Miss Koizumi has a very different and unique mindset!" She tore up a piece of lettuce to give Sun-D and asked, "What about Miss Owari or the three in the infirmary? I think that you and Miss Tsumiki would get along well, if nothing else! I shall be sure to arrange a meeting for the three of us in the future."

"The ravenous one and the rambunctious one make for an excessively loud duo," Tanaka muttered. Sonia muffled her giggles, remembering Tanaka's various outbursts in the library. "And I am not sure what to make of Komaeda; his demeanor is friendly, but there is some... unsettling aspect of his character that is difficult to describe."

Sonia sighed. "You need to stop being so critical of others, Mister Tanaka. Yes, all of our friends have their flaws, but there are also many things about them that are wonderful!"

"Is there anything about Hanamura that is wonderful?"

"Of course! There's... his... zest for life!" She giggled at her own pun again. "He approaches what he loves with great enthusiasm."

"He also approaches his classmates with great enthusiasm."

Sonia almost choked on her food in her laughter and forgot to reprimand Tanaka for speaking ill of a classmate. She supposed could let it slide this once.

...

After returning from an afternoon that consisted mostly of Mioda bouncing from place to place and leaving everyone else running after her wake, Souda retreated into the safety of his room and sat down heavily on his bed. It had been nice to get out, sure, but the pain of Sonia's rejection hadn't gone away and it stung all the more profoundly in the silence; Tanaka was still out somewhere. Probably with Sonia.

With a firm shake of his head, Souda kicked his shoes off and lay down, not bothering to pull the covers over himself. It wasn't even 8:00, but he figured that the longer he was asleep, the less he would have to think about his situation. Surely it wasn't something wrong with _him_, anyway, that made Sonia go for Tanaka instead. Maybe she just liked the tall, dark, and crazy type.

He was still convinced of mind control, though. Or maybe possession. Why couldn't anyone else see how she was being manipulated?

He agonized over the subject for another half hour, rolled over to look at the time, groaned, and forced himself to repeat meaningless song lyrics in his mind until he fell asleep.

Several hours later, once the moon had risen high above the school and its light no longer angled into the dark bedroom, Souda was awoken by a hand over his mouth. Before he could process what was happening, a figure picked him up, approached the open window, and jumped out, cradling him to their chest like some mockery of a mother holding her baby and still forcing a hand to his lips.

He screamed and opened his mouth wide to bite down, but the figure hit the ground and a familiar voice said, "I wouldn't do that."

Souda blinked and caught a glimpse of a silver braid before being carried off to a narrow space between the two dormitory buildings. He was set roughly down and immediately started screaming again before getting whacked over the head with what he hoped was the blunt edge of a weapon.

"Shit, you'd think this guy didn't know how the yakuza worked or something," a different, higher voice began. Souda squinted and could barely make out a slight figure walking toward him and Pekoyama.

Kuzuryuu stepped into the scarce moonlight and grinned. "I'd like to redeem that favor now."


	11. Chapter 11

Souda gaped at Kuzuryuu and attempted to scramble to his feet before feeling another impact on his skull. He slumped to the ground with a hiss, clutching the afflicted area. "What the hell is wrong with you?" he spat, trying not to yell for fear of further brain damage. "I asked you to sing a _song_ and your idea of an equal favor is kidnapping me in the middle of the night?"

Kuzuryuu glared down at the mechanic, seeming much taller from the cold ground, and Souda tried to keep his breathing under control. "What, are... are you gonna hold me hostage and torture me and dump my dead body onto the street when no one comes for me-"

"Hey, shut up!" Kuzuryuu hissed. "Just calm the fuck down, okay? No one's gonna hurt you unless you keep actin' like an idiot."

Souda sniffed loudly and wiped at his eyes with a sleeve, biting his lip in an attempt to stop its involuntary trembling. Kuzuryuu sighed, his thumbs hooked into the pockets of his suit, and Souda could almost have laughed at how casual the gangster's stance was. "I can explain the details of your debt when we get to where we're goin'," the man in question said, keeping his voice low and calm. "We're just waiting for the car right now."

The mechanic tried to refrain from making some smart comment or from breaking down into tears, as he was equally tempted to do either. He chose instead to keep his gaze firmly fixed on his socked feet and take some small relief in the fact that he, at least, wasn't being kidnapped in his pajamas. After some time spent frowning at the fraying threads in his neon pink socks, a soft sound of wheels scraping on gravel draw Souda's gaze upward to a sleek black car parking perpendicularly to the dorms.

Kuzuryuu smirked as he noticed Souda staring, glossy-eyed, at the moon's light reflecting off the car's smooth paint before motioning for Pekoyama to lead him inside. The mechanic sat down heavily after the door was opened for him, and his hands clenched firmly against his knees to steady their shaking. Pekoyama and Kuzuryuu sat on either side, effectively blocking both doors, and nodded at the driver. As the vehicle moved quietly forward, Souda swallowed and pushed away the urge to roll down one of the windows and scream.

The car ride was spent in silence and, thanks to the tinted windows and the darkness outside, Souda had no idea where in the country he was after the vehicle pulled into a large garage hours later. Pekoyama firmly took his wrists and led him between perfectly straight lines of perfectly parallel cars and trucks and vans, and she must have felt his hands twitch with the need to pick every one apart because she tightened her grip as they snaked between the dark, gleaming steel and stepped through a heavy door.

Souda winced against the fluorescent lighting that illuminated the short hallway before noticing that, ahead of him, Kuzuryuu's footsteps echoed one final time on the metal floor before his short figure stepped through another doorway and moved forward with only a muffled shuffling. Souda took a few more steps and looked down to notice the gaudy print of his socks standing atop an elegant black and gold carpet.

The contrast would almost be comical if it wasn't so embarrassing, and Souda was brought into further discomfort upon noticing a group of men in suits staring, stone-faced, at the teenagers.

He was really glad he hadn't changed into his pajamas earlier.

Kuzuryuu spoke in a low voice to one of the men, who opened yet another door leading to another set of hallways. They were led through several turns, which Souda absentmindedly memorized despite knowing that his chances of escape were nonexistent. It helped occupy his mind and calm his nerves, though his anxiety quickly peaked as the group arrived before a set of intricately carved double doors.

"Okay," Kuzuryuu began, "you're going to see the boss now. He'll tell you about what you have to do, and then you can get outta here - hey, stop cryin'!"

Souda sniffled and tried to wipe his damp cheek with the fabric of his shoulder, as his hands were still restrained. Kuzuryuu gave Pekoyama a pointed look over the mechanic's shoulder, and his wrists fell free only to be brought promptly to his watering eyes. After a few moments to compose himself, Souda inhaled sharply and lowered his fists.

Kuzuryuu hissed through his teeth and said, "Just stay calm, a'ight? Don't speak unless spoken to, listen carefully to what he says, and you should be fine. You're not gonna get your fingers cut off or whatever." Noticing the slightly quirked eyebrows of a few suited men, he snarled and added, "Unless you fuck up and tell anyone about this. Then we can't really be held responsible." The smooth sound of Pekoyama's sword sliding against her sheath punctuated his statement, and the doors were pushed open.

Souda took several tremulous steps into a candlelit room and could make out a broad-shouldered silhouette sitting in front of a low table on the floor. The man, presumably Kuzuryuu's father, gestured to a pillow across from him, and Souda sat after a moment, folding his legs beneath him and placing his still-shaking hands on his thighs.

For a few tense moments, the only sounds were Souda's shaking breaths and the doors closing behind him as the head of the Kuzuryuu group examined the mechanic's face closely. The two were alone in the small room that smelled of wax and bleach, and Souda had to force himself not to look for signs of blood between the cracks of the wooden floor. He told himself that he was just being paranoid and tried to keep his gaze steadily the man across from him, though the features of his face could barely be seen.

After a few more beats of silence, the man said, "You are Kazuichi Souda, correct?"

Souda startled and was just able to stop himself from squeaking. He nodded, not trusting his voice.

The _oyabun_ nodded slightly in return, seemingly more to himself than the mechanic, and continued. "My son has told me about your mechanical prowess. You are not of a strong disposition, but as you will not be doing any fighting on behalf of our group, this should not be a problem." Souda bit back an exhale of relief. "What you will be doing is far more important. It will allow us to wipe out the existence of a rival group."

Souda swallowed and fidgeted slightly, waiting for the Kuzuryuu leader to continue after his words sunk in. "For several years, that group has gathered resources and members and now makes regular threats to overthrow our syndicate. Their name is not important to you. Though I am not concerned that they will succeed in their efforts, I feel that we should make a public spectacle of their defeat to discourage other organizations from challenging us." Souda felt increasing amounts of dread toward the way the other man's expression never faltered, especially as he said, "That is where you are involved. You will develop a weapon, be it a firearm, an air or land vehicle, or an explosive, that will permanently defeat and humiliate anyone affiliated with that group."

The mechanic blanched but held his tongue as he was given further instruction. "You will have one week to develop the plans for this device and four to build it. I will offer you the assistance of my engineers if it is needed. Your progress will be monitored, and you will be alerted if you need to make changes. Work diligently, and your debt will be repaid."

He did not offer an explanation for what would happen if Souda neglected the work.

"If you have any questions, direct them to Fuyuhiko." The figure stood and gestured to the exit. "You may go."

Souda made sure each foot was planted firmly beneath him before standing, bowing, and walking as calmly as possible toward the doors. They were opened for him by two guards outside, and he was led again to the garage.

The short journey to the car passed without a word from anyone, but as he sat between Pekoyama and Kuzuryuu, between the tinted windows, between his morality and his basic need to live, Souda found his brain overflowing with questions that tasted of bile as they dribbled stickily from his mouth.

"Why..." He swallowed. "Why did you need to kidnap me to tell me that?" he asked, throat and voice raw.

Kuzuryuu looked idly out the window and said, "My dad wanted to see you for himself. Says he's the best judge of character there is and needed to know if you were reliable."

"And they needed to get a high school student to do their work for them?" Souda spat. "I don't wanna make something that's gonna fuckin' _kill_ anyone! Why can't..." He swallowed again, trying to wash away the bitter taste on his tongue. "Why can't he just get one of your guys to do it, huh?"

Kuzuryuu's mouth formed a tense line as he finally made eye contact. "Because you're the one indebted to us. Don't expect to make deals with the biggest crime syndicate in Japan and get off with some stupid little chore." He turned his head away once more, muttering "dumbass" just loudly enough for the subject of the insult to hear.

More questions formed a sour lump in Souda's throat, and he clutched at his neck with one hand as he wiped his eyes with the other, as it slowly sunk in exactly what he'd gotten himself into just for something to impress Sonia.

He didn't say anything else after that.

...

The first hints of a sunrise turned Souda's shadow a dark red as he made his way back to his dorm to get what little sleep he could. He still had school that day, which he had briefly contemplated skipping before realizing that it would just draw suspicion and force him to come up with some vague excuse. Any hint toward his involvement with the Kuzuryuu group would result in nothing but bad things for him.

Too exhausted to bother thinking of new designs or, better yet, a way around making a weapon designed to kill a whole group of people, Souda dragged his feet back to his dorm room and opened the door. He noted that Tanaka, thankfully, was still asleep before crawling into bed.

About an hour later, his alarm sounded, and he stumbled to his feet muttering something about how one person could only take so much shit before he went to take what he hoped would be a rejuvenating shower.

Shortly afterwards, Souda found himself slouching in his desk and fiddling with the ends of his wet hair. Hinata took a seat beside him some time later.

"Good morning, Souda," he said, sounding somewhat cautious. "How are you?"

"I'm a'ight," Souda mumbled, trying to blink away the heaviness in his eyelids. "Just... didn't get much sleep." That wasn't unusual, as he usually lost track of time working on one project or another. Nonetheless, he still made sure to be careful of what he said.

"That's not good," Hinata said, tracing figure eights on his desktop with a fingertip. "Maybe you should take a nap later?"

"Yeah, good idea."

The two fell into their own daydreams as more of their classmates filed in, and Souda could have sworn that his eyes weren't closed for that long, but his next conscious thought was that whoever was shaking his shoulder really needed to stop. He swatted in the general direction of the assailant and heard an exclamation in a voice that sounded suspiciously like his teacher's.

As his blurred vision came into focus, Souda blinked at the wrinkled hands on either side of his desktop and looked up to see the likewise wrinkled features of his math teacher.

He was reminded that the next month wouldn't be kind to him and could feel Kuzuryuu's glare from across the room.

Throughout the day, Souda kept catching Hinata in the middle of concerned glances and had to refrain from simply leaving the class and abandoning all human contact for the next five weeks. Hinata probably thought that he was still upset over Sonia, which had actually been put on the back burner to deal with if he ever lived through his favor.

If he did, though, Tanaka needed to watch his back.

After forcing himself to stay awake through a few classes, Souda made it to lunchtime and sat at his usual table, trying to make conversation despite the half-formed plans and doubts occupying his thoughts.

"So," he started. He left that hanging in the air while he tried to think of something else to say, and the newer additions to the table, namely Komaeda, the swindler, and Mioda, along with Hinata looked over curiously while Nanami played her game, oblivious. "Um," he continued. "How are you guys today?"

Mioda, to no one's surprise, jumped to answer first. "Ibuki is fantastical!" she said, drumming her hands rhythmically on the table. "She had lots of fun with everyone yesterday! Oh, oh, can we all go out again sometime? We could go to that cool restaurant that Sonia told Ibuki about or another karaoke bar or a concert or we could make our own concert or - "

"No more heavy metal, please," Nanami murmured.

"Hey, Mister Porkfeet, you should play the keyboard! If you washed your fingers, they would be perfect!" Mioda gasped. "Or you could leave fingerprints of food all over the keys! It would be like your own trademark! So cool..."

The swindler nodded absentmindedly. "I am sure that I could learn."

"You'd need a stage personality, though, yes, yes!" Mioda flicked a pea from her lunch tray at Hinata as she thought. "Hm, Ibuki wonders if Mister Imposter could try being himself for the public? We'd have all these intense light rockers onstage and just one calm, cool keyboardist!"

"I doubt anyone would want to see my normal self."

"Aw, c'mon!" Mioda drummed insistently on the swindler's arm. "You'd be a big hit! Think about it, okay? Ibuki wants to form a band with her friends!" She whipped around to face Hinata with a grin. "Hajime already agreed to be the drummer, right, right?"

Hinata nodded, mouth twitching between a frown and a small smile.

"Yeah, and we've been practicing our headbanging!" Mioda tossed her hair around to demonstrate. "Hey, Kazuichi, you have that hardcore look! You're gonna join, right?"

Souda stared into his barely-eaten food and mumbled, "Not if you're gonna play the kinda music you were singin' a few weeks ago."

Mioda stopped headbanging and thrust her lower lip out in an exaggerated pout. "No, no, that was different from Ibuki's normal style! You just need to develop your own taste for light rock! Y'see, it's a really diverse genre so there are lots of different styles and sounds and if you can find a kind that you like then you'll see how awesome it is and Ibuki can lend you some of her CDs and she even has some tapes and records if you want those and - "

As Mioda continued, the swindler picked a few strands of her hair from his food and smiled.

...

Souda escaped into his workshop as quickly as possible once the school day ended and planted his back firmly against a wall, between clamps and welding supplies and scraps of metal, before sliding to the floor. He drew one knee close to his chest, slung both elbows over it, and wondered how the hell he could get through this without anyone ending up dead.

As he stared at the blank concrete floor, he saw sketches forming: tanks, helicopters, jets, bombs, guns. All were weapons to kill, and none were weapons that he ever wished to create. Wiping the slate clean with a blink of his eyes, he tried to envision other weapons: smoke bombs, tranquilizer guns, sleeping gas. Better, much better, but he didn't know how the Kuzuryuu group would work with those or if they would even consider his debt repaid if he built a type of pacifistic device. They probably had access to all of those weapons and more, anyway.

The potential blood on Souda's conscience swam across his vision and filled the room with deep, suffocating red, but he blinked that, too, away and tried to think of something else, tried not to break down crying at the sheer size of the task assigned to him because he didn't have time to waste.

He needed something that wouldn't kill the group, just... incapacitate them. He didn't even want to do that, really; he didn't want to hurt anyone, but they would have been hurt or killed even if Souda never involved himself in the whole mess, so the least he could do was try to minimize the violence.

It was a sad sort of logic that he realized no high school student should have to contemplate, but it was what he had to deal with and what he had to get through to even continue his life. Still, he promised himself that after his debt was repaid, he'd create wonderful things to help people, to make up for any suffering he caused.

With that resolution, he began his work.

...

Elsewhere, Sonia and Tanaka sat in their usual corner of the library and worked on their homework together. After most of their short-term assignments were finished, Sonia stretched her arms upward and said, "So, Mister Tanaka, I spoke with Tsumiki last night and she said that she will try to free up some time next weekend for an outing; she is quite busy most every evening, unfortunately." She sighed quietly. "Now that you have had some time to reflect, is there anyone else we spoke with yesterday that you would like to approach again?"

Tanaka finished his last sentence before setting down his feather-tipped pen, which he claimed had "fallen from the outstretched wing of a noble black falcon." Sonia thought it and the corresponding inkwell added to the man's overall charm, but most of her classmates thought it made him seem like "a big nerd," which she only knew as a popular American candy.

While Sonia went off on a brief mental tangent, Tanaka contemplated her question; both spent a moment lost in their thoughts before the latter said, "I suppose, as you have opined, that the... colorful personalities of our classmates do have their own charms. However, despite any redeeming qualities that may exist in the shadow of his towering ego, I do not think that Hanamura in particular is a good match for one of my noble and calm temperament." He fiddled delicately with the frayed edges of the feather. "Have you already forgotten his disturbing teaching methods we witnessed firsthand not a month ago?"

Sonia blinked slowly, eyes wide. "No, I have not forgotten. I try not to think about it."

Tanaka shifted in his seat. "Ah."

"And it seemed to have been a misunderstanding, so I have since forgiven him." A black fingernail tapped against Sonia's lips as she said, "I believe it would be wise to meet with him exclusively in more public areas, however. If he ever does something like that again, it will be reported immediately."

Tanaka cleared his throat audibly. "Yes. Well. In any case, his aura mingles too disagreeably with my own, and I believe certain others would make for more promising comrades."

"Such as?"

"Nidai has always been of the admirable, if rambunctious, sort, and the songful one also possesses a bizarrely cheerful spirit." He shut his eyes for a moment and hummed in thought. "I believe the former is easier to comprehend, however. Even my keen ears, heightened and trained through nights spent alone in dark forests, do not always catch every word Mioda flings so haphazardly from her pierced tongue."

Sonia giggled and stood up. "Wonderful! Shall we go find Mister Nidai, then?" She began gathering up her books.

"Sonia, please wait."

She stopped, fingers loosely clutching her math book, and stared across the table. "Yes?"

"I..." Tanaka sighed. "I hope my words will not offend you, but I believe that this is something I should be able to do on my own. I do greatly appreciate your assistance, but I must learn how to interact with mortals firsthand if I ever wish to draw close to them." He twirled his pen idly between a finger and thumb. "Do you understand the message I convey? The group outings you have proposed will help, surely, but it seems necessary for one to speak one-on-one with another to form a true bond."

The princess smiled and sat back down. "Yes, I understand. I am sorry if I pushed you into any situation yesterday that made you uncomfortable; it was only my intention to help, but if you feel you must approach others on your own, that is excellent!" Her smile reached her eyes as she said, "I am very proud of you, Mister Tanaka."

"It is nothing extraordinary," Tanaka muttered. He readjusted his scarf and chuckled. "One could choose any day of my life on this earth and pick from an assortment of otherworldly accomplishments! When bards sing of my divinity, they will not think, with their small and fickle minds, to mention this day, as the sheer number of feats to praise will overwhelm and overshadow a simple attempt to reach out to a mere slave driver!"

Sonia nodded vigorously and said, "Yes, I never doubted that! I am sure that not even a traditional Novoselic ballad lasting from sun up to sun down could measure the scope of a life so richly lived!" Her gaze softened. "But even comparatively smaller accomplishments could also be considered impressive, Mister Tanaka."

Tanaka dipped his pen back into the inkwell and muttered something that sounded of thanks as he resumed writing. Sonia smiled and re-opened her textbook, halfheartedly trying and failing to memorize formulas.

...

A week later, Kuzuryuu approached Souda after class and requested a copy of the mechanic's plans for the_ oyabun_ to look over. Souda hastily made his way to the copier after sneaking into the teacher's lounge and later gave the documents to Kuzuryuu, fervently hoping that he wouldn't be reprimanded for making a different type of weapon than the infamously violent group may have expected.

Not 24 hours later, he was told that no changes needed to be made.

He had already begun constructing the project's rough skeleton and collecting the necessary materials, so he could have easily accommodated any suggestions; the fact that none were requested puzzled the mechanic, but if he could make something that wouldn't kill anyone and that would pay off his debt, that was good enough for him.

The next few weeks were spent in an anxious sort of routine; after classes every day, Souda would go to his workshop, work on the weapon in a secure corner hidden behind mounds of scrap metal and machinery, finish whatever homework he could well after the sun went down, and get a few hours of sleep before dragging himself through another cycle. Hinata would ask if he was okay, if he was getting enough sleep, but was waved off with a nod and a tired grunt.

A week into his building time, a smaller-scale prototype was built; Souda had no way to test its effects, of course, unless he wished to knock out Tanaka during a particularly long spiel, but he set it off in the workshop in the earliest, sleepiest hours of the morning, the detonation relatively quiet and the gas released strong enough to make him dazed when he walked in after classes that evening, and deemed it fit for use. He immediately set to work on the real bomb.

Dimly, groggily, he took note of upcoming tests, unfolding relationships, the way Tanaka and Sonia and Tsumiki always seemed to be together and the respectful nods exchanged between Nidai and Tanaka, but all seemed insignificant compared to the ongoing project. The only person the mechanic seemed to talk to regularly during those hellish weeks was Kuzuryuu, and they initially only spoke of plans and progress.

One late night in the shop, however, Kuzuryuu entered to find Souda singing loudly and tunelessly as he welded two pieces of metal together. He put the torch down and flipped his mask up, drumming on the newly-formed husk until he screeched at Kuzuryuu's reflection in the metal.

"Holy shit, don't do that!" Souda whimpered. He cautiously picked up the torch that had clattered to the floor during his convulsion.

"I could ask you the same," Kuzuryuu said, uncovering his ears and glaring.

"Don't think I like Mioda's stupid music style, it's just that this one song is really catchy and it's good stress relief-"

"I don't give a shit." Kuzuryuu sighed and massaged his forehead. "Even being around you gives me the worst headache... how is the project coming along?"

Souda scoffed at the insult and carried the newest piece of the weapon to his work table. "It's fine. I still have two weeks; you don't have'ta hound me about it all the time," he mumbled, assembling the outside of the bomb to assure that every piece fit together.

Kuzuryuu snickered. "It looks like an egg."

"Yeah, so?" Souda snarled, snatching up a drill. "As long as it does what it's supposed to do, I don't see the fuckin' problem."

"And what is it supposed to do?"

Souda pressed the trigger a few times, trying to channel his stress into the aggressive whirring noise of the tool. "You saw the plans. Shouldn't you know?"

"I had to give them to Peko to show the boss," Kuzuryuu said, crossing his arms. "And I probably couldn't have read your shitty writing anyway."

The mechanic spun around, still clutching the drill in one shaking hand. "Hey, I'm workin' as hard as I can, I'm not sleeping properly, and I'm stressed as all hell thanks to you. If you're just here to insult me, then get out."

Kuzuryuu pursed his lips and met the mechanic's sneer with one of his own. "I'm waiting for you to tell me what this metal egg does." He noticed the sheen in Souda's eyes and added, "It's nothin' to cry about. Don't kill yourself over this thing." He grinned. "We'll do that for you if you fuck up."

Souda whimpered and turned back to the table, wiping his eyes with the back of his wrist. Kuzuryuu could barely make out the other student whispering "I know" before continuing into an explanation. "It's basically a bomb that, when detonated, will fill the surrounding area with a knockout gas." Souda sniffed and looked blankly at the drill, setting it down on the table when he realized he didn't even need it in the first place. He instead sorted through miscellaneous parts occupy his hands.

Kuzuryuu snorted, seeing through the act with one glance, but didn't comment on Souda's nervous temperament. He enjoyed having that effect on people, or at least told himself that he did. "You really don't wanna kill anyone, huh?"

"No," Souda said, hands tightening around a bolt. "Hell no."

"This had better be your last deal you make with the yakuza, then," Kuzuryuu said, shaking his head. "People like you would never last."

Souda turned around and braced his hands against the table behind him, finally looking his peer in the eye. "How do you?"

"What?"

"How do you last? Being the son of the head of the biggest criminal group?" He took a deep breath before pushing on. "You're just a teenager like the rest of us. There's no way you could really be alright with having all that... that blood on your hands, right?"

Kuzuryuu stared into Souda's still-watering eyes, expression blank. After a few beats of silence, he smiled softly, almost mockingly. "Never thought you'd have the balls to ask something like that." This time, he was the one to turn around. "It's a stupid question, though. Hinata asked me something similar a few weeks ago. Remember that I was raised with a completely different kind of mindset than the rest of you." He started walking toward the exit. "Maybe I'll give you a better answer if you repay your debt." He stopped with one hand on the door and hesitated before saying, "Keep up the g... keep up the work. Hopefully, you won't screw up too badly."

As Kuzuryuu stepped out, Souda gripped the table with all his strength and stared at the floor, amazed that the heir hadn't just exploded at him and stormed away.

He couldn't reflect on it for too long, though. Hinata seemed to have a pretty significant influence on his classmates; perhaps he had even succeeded in mellowing Kuzuryuu out a bit. Souda resolved to get an answer later and went back to work.


	12. Chapter 12

As the end of January drew near, Hinata almost considered asking Tsumiki if he could give himself an ulcer as a result of worrying over Souda's increasingly shaky disposition. Once glance at the mechanic made apparent his need for sleep and some sort of diversion from his stressful problems, and Hinata was determined to provide that distraction.

He spoke with Nanami about the matter one afternoon as they sat in the student lounge area, her head on his shoulder and her heavy eyes trained on her game.

"Hey, Nanami," Hinata began as a cutscene on the game faded to black. "Have you noticed Souda getting even worse lately? I think we might need to arrange another outing or something because he really needs to take his mind off of Sonia."

Nanami hummed and paused the game after a few moments. "It might be a bit more than Sonia at this point. We have all those tests coming up, remember? He could be stressed about those."

"Are you?"

"I am whenever our teachers talk about them, but I usually forget by the time I go back to my room." Nanami resumed playing. "Games can be helpful like that."

Hinata sighed. "I'm not sure if that's helping you in the long run... but still, if you're free sometime, I think we should take him out somewhere or at least talk to him. He doesn't seem to want to talk to me about it, but maybe you can convince him to take it easy or something."

Nanami tried to nod, but the motion made her appear as though she was nuzzling into Hinata's arm. "Anytime that he's ready, I can talk to him with you."

Hinata looked down and quirked an eyebrow at Nanami's head, trying to suppress a snicker. Her hair was sticking up in thin strands after rubbing against the fabric of his sleeve. "Okay, thanks. I'm not sure where he is right now; he always runs off right after classes are over, but we'll get him tomorrow."

It was true that Hinata was uninformed of Souda's location, but he could guess as to a few places where the mechanic would typically be hanging around. In reality, Nanami seemed so peaceful that he was reluctant to stand up, and it was rare for them to have a quiet moment together. Though he was concerned for his friend, he could wait another day; it was probably too late in the evening to go find Souda, anyway.

...

Elsewhere, Souda tightened the final screw on the bomb, looked at his work, and burst into tears.

He was unsure if he was crying due to the relief at being finished, the pride he felt for completing such a dedicated project, or the crushing guilt due to his aforementioned pride in building something meant to cause suffering. He thought it was likely all three, especially the last, and despite his efforts to compose himself, the emotions that he had suppressed for the last month while focusing on his task kept spilling out in a steady drip of snot and spit and tears and of _course_ that was when the door opened. He had forgotten to lock it again.

Souda hastily wiped at his face with an unwashed sleeve, grabbed the bomb, and crouched down in the corner. He couldn't think of anyone other than Kuzuryuu who would visit him, but he could never be too careful in such a delicate situation as his and didn't particularly wish to speak with anyone at the moment, regardless of who they were. His haggard breathing, however, drew the visitor nearer, which in turn only made Souda's repressed whimpers louder until he felt a slight relief upon seeing a familiar pair of unusually small white shoes.

"Your timing is shit," Souda mumbled before the gangster could make some condescending comment.

Kuzuryuu grunted in response and looked at the metal shell cradled in Souda's arms. "I'd argue it's pretty damn good if you finally finished with that thing," he said.

The following silence was broken up only by the occasional sniff.

"You're a week early, you know."

Souda lifted his head once to nod before dropping it heavily toward his chest. "I just wanted to be done with this," he said, voice hoarse. He stood up and held the bomb with his arms extended far outwards. "Take it."

Kuzuryuu furrowed his brows at the abrupt exchange but took the offered weapon cautiously, smiling to himself after a moment with less of his usual malice. "You just want it as far away from you as soon as possible, right?"

"Obviously." Souda crossed his arms and sniffled.

"And you don't want to think about where it's going or what it's going to cause after today. You just want to move on."

"_Yeah._"

Kuzuryuu laughed softly, and Souda flinched at the bitter tinge in his voice. "Must be nice." He headed for the door. "All I wanted was to check on your progress. I'll be back later to tell you how it goes."

"And what the hell makes you think I would want to hear that?"

The syndicate heir grabbed a shop jacket by the door and wrapped it around the decidedly suspicious object before propping it under one arm. "I know you're curious. I'll try to minimize the casualties just for the sake of your virgin conscience, a'ight?"

Kuzuryuu stepped out, leaving Souda sputtering more frantically than any car he ever had to fix.

...

Two days later, the news spread quickly and hit Souda right in the gut. It took all his energy to prevent himself from openly weeping as he heard his classmates discuss the bombing all around him.

"The building was barely even damaged! Do you think the bomb went off at all?"

"They found bits of shrapnel scattered around, right? It must have, but that doesn't make any sense."

"You are all foolishly disregarding the supernatural forces always at work! Those mortals were spared from destruction due to the providence of an almighty power, and the unworthy individuals on the receiving end of such divine grace would do well to express their thanks."

"Big Bro Ham-Ham, I don't think they were really spared. I mean, they can't find any of the leaders of that group. What do you think happened to them, huh?"

The knot in Souda's stomach tightened, and he doubled over.

"Might I ask where you all heard of this news? I had not been informed of it until just now."

"It was on the news last night, Miss Sonia! Attacks of this scale rarely happen around here, and it's deplorable that one so malicious has now affected so many."

"That is awful... how sad the victim's families must be."

"Hey, guys, I wasn't kidding earlier. What do you think happened to them? Did they get shanked in a back alley somewhere while everyone else was distracted? Did they run away like little cowards?"

"Saionji, I don't think we should speculate on it. Anything could have happened."

"But Big Sis, I wanna know!"

Kuzuryuu and Pekoyama remained conspicuously silent.

"Hey, Souda, are you okay?"

Souda jolted, arms still wrapped around his middle. He looked in time to see Hinata taking his seat and nodded slowly. "Yeah, yeah, it's just... violence kinda upsets me, y'know? I don't like thinking about it."

Hinata nodded in return. "Yeah, Saionji can be a bit insensitive about these things."

The two were silent as the animated conversation continued near the back of the classroom. Hinata shifted. "So, uh, hey, are you free after school today?"

"Uh-huh." Souda winced, striking off his plans for retreating to the safety of his room after classes ended.

"I think we should just talk for a little bit. Nanami and I are kinda... we're worried about you."

Souda sighed. "I said I was okay."

"You don't seem like it."

The mechanic was unsure as to whether Hinata's usual blunt manner of speaking was a good or bad thing in this case. Though his friend's concern touched him, he was reluctant to talk with anyone lest he think for too long about what he'd done and break down crying. However, he could only wait for Kuzuryuu's update and hope that no one died during the attack, so he relented, hoping that a talk would distract him for even a few minutes.

"Where did you wanna meet?" Souda muttered after a silent reflection.

"I dunno, maybe the library? Uh..." Hinata shifted in his chair again. "Is it okay if Nanami comes? She wants to talk, too."

"Yeah, sure, whatever. Library after classes." Souda mentally checked out just as the classroom door opened and a pair of heels clicked over to the lecture podium. It took all of his effort to stop himself from crying, anyway, so the damn teacher should be glad he even bothered to show up.

He spent the duration of the day sniffling, trying to frantically conceal his loud sniffs, getting upset with himself for almost crying in class, proceeding to almost cry anyway, and continuing the cycle. A few minutes before lunch break began, he considered going back up to his room and skipping the rest of the day, but that would only make Hinata more worried. Sitting at his usual table, he tried to smile along with Mioda's enthusiastic plans to form a band and ignore the concerned glances he could feel coming from Hinata and Nanami, but his nerves continued to prick at him, at the pit in his gut, at his eyes until they teared up, and all he could wonder was how many deaths his work had caused.

After staring at his blurry desktop for the rest of the day, Souda stood with great effort and walked to the library alongside Hinata and Nanami, his feet feeling unusually heavy. He took the time to pull himself together and managed to dry his eyes through vigorous blinking by the time he found himself seated across from his two friends.

Hinata swallowed. "So, Souda, like I said earlier, Nanami and I have been concerned about you. You look... burnt out, and you haven't been talking to us at all; you just run off somewhere right after the last class ends. What's up?"

Nanami's mouth twitched at Hinata's bluntly worded statements, but she did not protest.

Souda sighed and ran a hand through his hair, frowning at its greasy texture. "I've been stressed, okay? There was a, a..." His hands clenched in his lap. "A project that I had to do as a commission for someone. It was really big and it took a lot outta me, but I think they were satisfied with it."

He wasn't lying, but he still felt disgusting. The probing stares of his two best friends made him want to run out of the library and keep going until he could no longer see the school's overbearing silhouette in the distance that reminded him, with all its presence and girth, that he was expected to use his talents for good. He remained still and silent for fear of doing or saying something stupid that would give him away.

Hinata pursed his lips. "That's all?"

Souda startled and then cursed himself for acting so suspicious. "Huh? Yeah, that's it. I was just really tired and exhausted all the time, but I probably won't take on anything that big again for a long time, so there's no need to worry about me!" He flashed a grin that slowly fell as Hinata and Nanami's blank expressions deepened the pit in his stomach that had been torturing him all day.

Nanami hummed to herself. "Are you sure that's all, Souda? You could have talked to me or Hinata about it and we would have helped you. We were worried."

Souda shrugged. "Nah, it wasn't the kind of thing that you could've helped with. 'Sides, I finished it, so no big deal, right?"

"You're sure you're going to be okay, then?" Hinata asked, crossing his arms.

Souda chewed on his lip for a split second before saying "yes" with more resolve than he thought he had. Hinata tightened his hand over the opposite forearm and looked at the tabletop as though it could divulge the mysteries of Souda's behavior to him. Finding no answers, he eventually nodded. "Okay. Just tell us if you need anything."

"Yeah, yeah," Souda said, nodding eagerly. He could feel his eyes tearing up. "You guys are... really good friends, y'know that?"

Nanami smiled and put a hand to her heart, touched. "We just wanted to help with whatever you were going through. Any friend would do the same."

"No, you guys are _really_ good," Souda repeated before walking over to the other side of the table, sniffling. "Thanks." He bent over and extended his arms to their full length to hug Hinata's and Nanami's torsos from the side.

Hinata grunted in surprise but allowed the mechanic to linger for a few seconds before twisting his elbow to pat Souda's arm. "Yeah, you're welcome, but this is probably the most awkward hug I've ever received."

"I think it's a nice gesture," Nanami said, smile intact.

Souda huffed and withdrew to wipe at his eyes. "Well, fine, why don't we do a proper one?"

Hinata blinked. "Huh?"

"Stand up!" Souda straightened his posture to demonstrate and spread his arms outward.

"Um..."

"Don't worry, Hinata, it's okay to show that you appreciate your friends sometimes." Nanami gave a breathy laugh as she stood. She wrapped a hand around his upper arm, and he stood slowly.

Once the two were standing side by side, Souda threw one arm around either student and rested his head on Hinata's shoulder. The reserve student shifted uncomfortably but, feeling the fabric of his shirt dampen slightly, didn't push Souda away. He sighed to himself and put an arm around Souda's back, meeting Nanami's hand in the middle.

The hug lingered for almost a full minute before Hinata said, "Okay, guys, don't you think this - "

Nanami shushed him and patted Souda's right shoulder, which was shaking in tandem with his left. She and Hinata pretended not to hear the cries trapped low in his throat.

...

Souda went to classes the next day still worried about what had happened to those who disappeared after the bombing, but he realized that he didn't have to wait long after Kuzuryuu gave him a meaningful look at the end of their last class and gestured to the door with his head.

They met outside after saying their goodbyes to classmates and walked quietly to Souda's workshop. Kuzuryuu entered first with Souda following close behind, wincing at the state of the room and muttering about how he needed to sort everything again.

Kuzuryuu scoffed. "I never thought of you as the organized type."

"You've only ever been in here when I didn't have time to keep everything neater, so yeah, I can see why," Souda said. He pulled at his hair upon seeing a box of nails that had tipped over and bent down to put them back.

"That's not really the reason," Kuzuryuu muttered, shaking his head. "Not important. You wanna know what happened to the disappeared people, right?"

Souda, still crouched to the floor, turned his head and nodded.

"We didn't kill 'em, since you were so careful to make something non-lethal." The ends of his mouth twitched. "We do notice things like that, and not everyone in the group is as bad as you might think. Some were fine with just sacking the place."

The final nail clattered into the box, and Souda stood. "So what happened to them?"

"Our group took all their supplies and shipped their leaders off to remote countries while they were still knocked out. They won't have the money or ability to get a flight back home, and if they do, we'll deal with them."

Souda sighed heavily and set the box onto a shelf. "That's not as bad as I thought, at least."

Kuzuryuu stared at a piece of scrap metal on the floor. "Think about it, though. They'll never see any of their family, friends, or colleagues again, and anyone related to them probably thinks they died in the attack. They'll live the rest of their lives in poverty in a place where they don't speak the native language and will struggle to get employment. Is that any better?" He looked into Souda's eyes, which had gone wide.

"Well... can't they learn the language? There's still a chance they might get a job and a better life there, right?" The mechanic bit at a finger as he pondered his own question, ignoring the metallic taste.

Kuzuryuu shrugged. "That's possible. In any case, it's what you wanted, so you better be damn grateful we did this for you."

Souda shrunk away. "I don't owe you another favor for that, do I?" he whispered. His breathing became more erratic as Kuzuryuu started to laugh.

"No, you did your job," he said, grinning in a way that didn't help Souda feel any better about the situation. "Just don't ask me for anything else."

Souda nodded frantically, and he stood, back against the shelf, until his tense muscles and the ringing in his ears were enough to make him scream. He bit down hard on his lip as he remembered something, and he was amazed that he found the courage to ask, "Were you going to answer my question from earlier?"

"What question?"

"About how... how you deal with this kinda shit every day." Souda swallowed the thick saliva forming at the back of his tongue and almost gagged. He reminded himself to get a mini-fridge installed when he had time.

Kuzuryuu nodded and said, "It's just how I was raised, in the mindset that I couldn't trust people outside of the Kuzuryuu clan and that I should always be looking for ways to take advantage of those people. I've seen stabbings and shootings ever since I could count the number of people who died in one day, so I got used to it. Doesn't mean that I like doing it, but I can't exactly back down. My father would find me no matter where I went."

Souda didn't have anything to say to that. Kuzuryuu snarled at the look of pity in his eyes. "That's how it is, okay? Deal with it, and if you don't like it, don't bother asking me those kinds of questions." He turned. "I don't have anything else to say to you."

As the small form began walking away, Souda called out. "Kuzuryuu. Tell me how to forget about this." His voice cracked. "Please."

Kuzuryuu laughed again as he turned around. "_Don't_ forget about it, dumbass. Remember what you caused, what you're capable of, and put it to whatever use you see fit. It's none of my business how you feel about this." His short heels clicked briskly against the floor as he walked out. The door swung shut with a heavy slam.

Souda wondered, then, why Kuzuryuu had gone to such lengths to check up on him, to ensure that there would be no deaths, to answer his questions so personally and honestly, if he claimed to not care at all.

...

Once things began to settle down, Souda attempted to put the whole matter behind him and threw himself into the helpful projects he had promised to work on. He worked on his ideas almost as vigorously and desperately as he had the object that paid back his debt at the expense of countless others, but he grew weary of the quirked brows and concerned faces he saw whenever entering class in the morning. When he saw even Tanaka's eyes grow wide upon taking in his appearance, he seethed in frustration and resolved to pull himself together.

Within the next week, he cleaned up his work space, listened to music so loudly that the bass beat the guilt off his chest, and began showering regularly after one too many jabs from Saionji. He was surprised, then, when Hinata still seemed concerned and asked to speak with him a second time.

"Why?" Souda asked, glancing at the clock and budgeting the time he would have to build the fridge that afternoon. The warm soda he'd been drinking in the shop tasted worse and worse each day, with each chug.

"You still seem a bit down to me," Hinata said, following his friend's gaze to the clock. "I just want to make sure you're doing okay."

"I told you guys that I'm fine." Souda narrowed his eyes. "Why are you so suspicious, huh?"

"I'm _not,_ I'm just worried. It'll take five minutes."

Souda sighed through his teeth and rubbed at an eye. "Fine, okay."

They went to the library together, to the same table as the week before, and Hinata asked again if Souda was going to be alright.

"Yes," he said, rolling his eyes. "What makes you think I'm not?"

Hinata shrugged and looked as though he regretted even asking to have the talk in the first place. "You still don't seem completely yourself. Something just seems kinda... off? I don't know. I'm probably just imagining it."

They sat in silence for a few moments, listening to the steady buzz of the fluorescent lighting and staring at the table. Souda cleared his throat.

"Hinata?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think it's better to die than to live a life with no hope?"

Hinata immediately reached over the table to grab Souda's shoulders, eyes wide. "No, Souda, holy shit, do _not_ say that. I know you're upset over Sonia and exams and stress or whatever, but you can't kill yourself-"

"Woah, woah, hey, that's not what this is about!" Souda patted Hinata's hands awkwardly before removing them from his person. "I just saw something like it on a TV show, okay? I've been wondering about it. Deep moral shit n' all that." Hinata furrowed his brows, unconvinced. "That's _all._"

Hinata slowly sat down, hands clenched on his knees as he shut his eyes. "Okay," he said. "Okay. Just promise me you won't do anything."

"Yeah, yeah, I promise." Souda huffed. "You're actin' weird, man. I've never seen you freak out like that before."

"Well, what the hell am I supposed to think? I've barely even seen you for a month, and you looked_ awful_ every time I did talk to you, and then you tell me and Nanami that you're okay before pulling shit like this." He inhaled sharply, pressing the heels of his hands to his eyes. "I just don't want you to do anything stupid."

"I won't, okay?"

Hinata rested his elbows on the table and made firm eye contact with the boy sitting across from him. "'Anything stupid' includes pining over Sonia, too. I know you still want to date her, but you should just let things be for a while."

Souda slumped over in his chair, directing his gaze to the table once more. "I guess... I haven't really been thinking about that lately, anyway."

"Then what the hell else was making you walk around looking half-dead?"

The mechanic shook his head. "It's not important. It's over now, anyway." He crossed one leg over the other and rubbed at his bloodshot eyes. "And you didn't answer my question."

Hinata leaned forward, holding the back of his head down with his hands. After a few moments, he propped his chin up and said, "I like to think that there's always something to look forward to, I guess. That's not true for everyone all the time, since there are people suffering right now with no end in sight, but..." He sighed. "I don't know. I don't think blind optimism is always the best way to go, but looking at everything with a really bleak viewpoint usually won't help you feel much better. There's a balance, I think." Souda laughed to himself, noticing Nanami's verbal tic. "It depends on the person and their situation, and there are probably some people who think they don't have a way to find a true source of happiness at some point in their lives because they're only around abusive people or they live in a warzone or something else like that. I don't know," he repeated. "It's a really complicated subject, and I'm just kind of confusing myself right now."

Souda hummed and nodded after a moment. "Nah, I got ya. That's a pretty realistic way to look at things."

The lights buzzed louder during the second stretch of silence.

Hinata shifted. "So, yeah. You gonna be okay from now on?"

"Yeah, I think so," Souda said.

"Good." Hinata glanced at the clock. "It's getting late. You should try to get some sleep tonight."

Souda nodded and sat upright while he stretched his arms upward. "That sounds good to me," he sighed, massaging at the back of his neck. "When are those exams, anyway?"

"The day after Foundation Day."

Souda jolted forward. "Oh, shit, Valentine's Day's comin' up! I gotta start thinkin'a ways to woo Sonia!" He bolted from his chair and grinned across the table. "Thanks for the talk, buddy."

"Um... yeah, sure, but didn't you hear what I said about doing anything stupid?"

Souda was already walking away, looking more energetic than he had in weeks. Hinata groaned and set his head in his folded arms on the table.


	13. Chapter 13

Souda woke up the next day ready to do everything he needed to convince Sonia to give him chocolates on Valentine's Day.

Of course, there was always a chance that she didn't celebrate the holiday, but, considering her interest in foreign cultures, the possibility was slim. She would probably give gifts to all her classmates because she was that type of generous person, but Souda would make sure that his gift was the biggest and best. He grinned to himself and started getting ready for the last day of school before Foundation Day, arriving to class earlier than anyone else. He paced by the door and rehearsed some of his lines aloud before someone could come in and overhear.

He turned with a start as the door opened, but it was Nidai and Owari who entered in a burst of energy rather than Sonia in a burst of grace. Souda halfheartedly waved to the pair and continued to pace.

"Good morning, Souda!" Nidai boomed. "How are you?"

"I'm a'ight," he said, putting a hand to his ear. "Just, uh... getting rid of some energy before class."

"Excellent! I agree that exercise in the morning is the best way to wake up," Nidai said, nodding. "You are welcome to join Owari and I during one of our sessions. Komaeda has recently started to work alongside us, and Tsumiki says that his health will improve with a regular routine!"

"Uh, cool," Souda said. He should have remembered that talking about exercise or excess energy around Nidai would only result in an animated (yet one-sided) conversation. "I'll think about it."

"The old man's right, as much as I hate to admit it," Owari said as she stretched. "My gymnastics have improved a lot since I started workin' with him. I dunno what good exercise would do you as a mechanic, though, but I bet that bench-pressing cars could impress some chicks." She flashed Souda a toothy grin as she laughed at the thought.

"Yeah, they do go for the superhero type, don't they?" Souda mused. He returned the grin. "I'll have to take you guys up on that sometime."

The three went off the topic of exercise routines to discuss superheroes, but Souda quickly clammed up as the door opened again. Saionji and Koizumi entered.

"Hey, Uncle Nidai!" the former said, jumping on his back. Nidai caught her small form easily and carried her around the room. Saionji whooped as she put her hands in the air, imitating a roller coaster patron.

"Careful, Saionji! Don't fall," Koizumi said, brows furrowing.

"You worry too much, Big Sis!" Saionji returned, drumming on Nidai's head. "Uncle Nidai would never drop me!" She leaned in and lowered her voice. "If he did, he would end up worse for the wear than me in the end."

Koizumi pursed her lips at the threat, but Nidai laughed and set Saionji down as more of their classmates entered. "Of course I wouldn't drop you!" he said, almost encompassing her whole head as he patted her hair. "I would never forgive myself!"

"I wouldn't, either!" Saionji replied cheerfully. She skipped over to her seat, Koizumi following close behind.

Souda sighed and leaned against his desk, scanning the incoming crowd for a head of platinum blonde hair. He scowled as he noticed Tanaka faithfully trailing in behind Sonia like one of those dogs the breeder loved so much. Souda took a few steps forward to approach Sonia but was stopped by an arm around his shoulder.

"Hey, Souda!" Hinata said a bit too loudly, pulling his friend aside. "I thought I told you not to bother them," he hissed.

"Woah, where the hell did you come from?" Souda sputtered, stepping back.

"I walked in through the door. Were you too _busy_ to notice?"

"Um..." Souda looked to his right to see Sonia talking with Tanaka and Nidai across the room.

"Yeah, exactly." Hinata sighed. "Your staring is really obvious, y'know."

"So? It's not like anyone pays attention to me," Souda said, crossing his arms.

"...Yeah, well, still. Stop." Hinata mimicked Souda's pose in retaliation and said, "Oh, by the way, Nanami had a question about her GameBoy. The screen won't turn on even with new batteries, but the sound still plays, so she thinks that the screen's broken. Could you fix it?"

Souda sighed and put his hands on his hips. "I guess so, yeah. Do you know what model it is?"

Hinata thought for a moment. "It's pink."

"Okay, never mind. Just have her bring it to me after class is over and I'll see what I can do."

"Cool, thanks." As Hinata finished his sentence, Nanami entered the room, rubbing at her eyes. She waved to the two boys as she walked over.

"Good morning," she muttered through a yawn.

"Hey, Nanami," Hinata said with a smile. "I was telling Souda about your busted GameBoy screen. Do you happen to have it with you?"

"Ah, maybe..." She took off her backpack and rustled through the biggest pocket. Souda wondered if she even bothered to put school supplies in it. "Which broken GameBoy, exactly? I've gone through a few over the years," Nanami asked.

"The pink one," Hinata said, shifting from foot to foot and glancing at the clock. "But if you have another broken one, I'm sure Souda could fix that, too, right?"

"Yeah, yeah," Souda said with a wave of his hand. "It might be kinda nostalgic to look at the older technology, like when I took apart our old portable radio when I was younger, but it'd be hard to find spare parts. I'll come up with somethin'."

Nanami zipped her backpack. "I must have left it in my room. I'll give it to you later," she said, going to her seat and setting her head onto her desk.

By the time the conversation was over, the homeroom teacher had entered and ordered the class to take their seats. Souda thought nothing of it at the time, as he was too busy thinking about all the old televisions he'd disassembled when he was a kid, but he realized later that Hinata had been distracting him.

Souda almost cursed aloud in the middle of class, but he reminded himself that he still had many more chances to talk to Sonia after the day was over.

And after he'd looked at those GameBoys, of course.

...

Souda ended up spending the whole evening staring, wide-eyed, at the components of the console in the midst of his newly-organized workshop. By the time he was finished fixing the screen, testing the console, and getting distracted by the Hamtaro game inside, it was already past dinnertime, which meant that Nanami was likely asleep. Souda sighed as he stared at the clock, marveling at the way he could get so lost in his work. He resolved to get the device to Nanami the next day and went to bed, placing the console next to his nightstand so he would remember it.

He awoke the next morning to find Tanaka sitting, legs crossed, back hunched, on his own bed, a pink blob in his hands. As Souda's vision focused, he jumped out of bed and snatched the GameBoy from Tanaka's hands.

"The hell're you doin'?" Souda barked. "Who told you that you could just take my stuff?"

"You peruse my belongings on a regular basis," Tanaka said, cracking his knuckles. "I have found smudges on my personal documents that I did not leave there, and my reserves of hair product have been depleting at an unusually high rate."

"That is_ not_ true! Why would I want to read your papers, anyway?" Souda looked at the screen and idly picked up from where Tanaka had left off in the game.

"I could think of several reasons."

"Uh-huh," Souda muttered, thinking that the hamsters in the game were way cuter than Tanaka's. Friendlier, too.

Tanaka listened to the sounds coming from the console for a few moments and said, "I do not believe that game belongs to you. You have expressed nothing but contempt for the Four Kings, and I doubt you would find anthropomorphized versions of their kind any more appealing."

Souda didn't bother to respond, and not just because he didn't know what anthropomorphized meant. In his morning grogginess, he noted that the conversation between him and Tanaka bordered on friendly banter, which Souda found disturbing. He shuddered as he gathered up his clothes for the day and went into the bathroom to change, snatching up the console and walking out once he was ready to track down Nanami. The mechanic checked the cafeteria to find Hinata shoveling down his food at their usual table.

"Woah, hey, what's the rush?" Souda asked as he approached. "You turnin' into Owari or something?"

"No," Hinata mumbled around a mouthful of eggs. "I need to finish breakfast so I can go study."

"I thought you were always nagging me about crammin' before tests! What happened?" Souda sat across the table, setting the GameBoy onto the table.

"I studied for the past few weeks, but I still need to use this day to go over everything one last time," Hinata said.

"You're gonna be fine," Souda said with a chuckle. "You always do fine." He pointed at the console. "Hey, do you know where Nanami is so I can give this back to her?"

Hinata shook his head after downing the rest of his orange juice. "She's usually not awake until later on holidays. She'll probably show up here eventually."

"Okay, cool." Souda's grin widened as he said, "Hey, she doesn't have any more for me to fix, does she?"

"She did say that she had gone through more than one," Hinata recalled, "so I'm pretty sure that she would."

"Sweet!" Souda gave Hinata a thumbs up as the latter stood to clear his tray.

"I need to go now, Souda," Hinata said as he walked by his friend. "I'll see you later."

"Yeah, see ya," Souda said, tapping his fingers on the table. While he waited, he got a tray for himself and kept a watch for Sonia, but he never saw her walk in. He figured that she was just a morning person and reminded himself to go check the library later.

An hour after he had finished breakfast, Souda saw Nanami enter the cafeteria as he played the GameBoy. He quickly shut it off and waved her over.

"Hello, Souda," Nanami yawned. She smiled, struggling to keep her eyes open. "Did you fix the screen?"

"Yeah, you bet!" Souda proudly held the finished product outwards, which Nanami accepted with a slow word of thanks.

She turned the console on and smiled. "I see you made a lot of progress in Hamtaro: Rainbow Rescue."

"Uh, yeah," Souda said, heat rising to his face. "It's kinda addicting once you start, y'know?"

"Of course I know," Nanami replied. She shut the game off and said, "I only came down to get breakfast and then I'm going back to sleep, but I can keep you company in the meantime."

"Nah, that's okay," Souda said, standing up. "I actually have another errand to run. Enjoy your sleep!" He waved over his shoulder and stepped outside, heading toward the library. He went to the back corner on the second floor to find Sonia studying, as he had expected.

"Hey, Lady Sonia," he greeted.

She looked up from her book. "Oh, hello, Mister Souda," she said, smiling softly. "How are you today?"

"I'm alright. Mind if I sit here?" He pointed at the chair across the table.

"Yes, that's fine," Sonia said, returning to her work.

He sat and stared at the textbook, trying to read the words upside-down with little success. After a few minutes, Sonia asked, "Did you come here to work, Mister Souda?"

"Um... oh, yeah! I forgot," he stuttered, searching for one of his stock lines. "I forgot because you're so pretty. I just... forget lots'a stuff around pretty girls, y'know?"

"Thank you," Sonia said, unfazed. "Can you at least remember what subject you came to study?"

Souda looked around the shelves, panicked, and said, "Yeah, uh, be right back." He walked away as quickly as possible and sniffed, unsure why he felt so... off. He sank to the floor between two bookcases and sat there trying to compose himself before picking a grammar book off the shelves and returning. Sonia nodded as he sat again, and he smiled back, only realizing a second later that she wasn't looking at him. He sighed quietly and opened the book, trying to remember what rules his class had learned that year. Writing had never been his strong point, but, according to the specialized Hope's Peak curriculum, each student needed to improve their weakest area to become more well-rounded, so Souda didn't really have a choice in whether he could bypass literature altogether.

He chose to give up, however, after a sincere ten minute attempt that ended with him reading the same line three times in a row. He shut the book and said, "I have to go. I'll see you later, Lady Sonia," as he stood. Sonia smiled and waved as he left, shoving the book back into the same general spot he had found it before walking outside.

Souda wiped at his eyes as he stepped into the chilly air. He would guess that it wasn't even noon yet, but after such a demoralizing experience, he wanted to do nothing but go back up to his room and lie in bed. Maybe he could try studying to forget about it; the strategy seemed to work well enough for Hinata, at least.

He wasn't sure what was wrong. He still thought Sonia was beautiful in every way possible, and he still wanted to date her, but he just couldn't think of anything to say. All his pickup lines seemed so lame all of a sudden, and he didn't really know what else to talk about with her. As he opened the door to the dorm building and rubbed at his cold cheeks, he wondered what princesses even talked about in the first place. Politics? Economics? War? Maybe he could talk to her about weapons technology, but that didn't seem like the best topic of conversation when flirting with someone.

He concluded that he was off his game due to all the stress from the past month and threw himself into his bed, grateful that Tanaka wasn't around to rub his own failure in his face.

...

The next few days passed with no small amount of stress or of cram studying when certain students realized they had been completely unprepared for the first day of midterms and hoped to do better for the rest of the week.

As Souda expected, Sonia arrived to class on Valentine's Day with a massive basket of gifts for everyone in the class. He cursed as he noticed Tanaka holding the door open for her but brightened as she thanked Souda for taking the load from her arms. Souda placed the basket on the nearest desk, earning a few choice words of protest from Saionji, and watched Sonia dig through the packages. She gave a box to each classmate, their names neatly labeled on each one, and Souda nearly squealed when he received his.

He read the note inside slowly, as though to savor it, and looked at the chocolates inside the box. Though the contents were essentially the same as everyone else's and the note did not contain a love confession, Souda found himself in a state of euphoria for the rest of the day.

After classes, he came back to reality and remembered another pressing matter. He approached Hinata as he was leaving.

"Psst." Souda nudged Hinata's side and tilted his head urgently to the door, destroying any subtlety the gesture was meant to have. Hinata sighed and followed anyway.

When the two had walked far enough down the hallway, Souda looked theatrically from side to side to ensure that no one would overhear and said, "I heard that Tanaka and Sonia are goin' on a date this weekend."

Hinata groaned. "Where do you even learn this stuff? Do you have spies or cameras or something?"

"Tanaka's been acting weird lately." Souda tapped his foot. "He's too... happy? I saw him grinnin' to himself earlier today, and it was the scariest goddamn thing I've ever seen, but I think he was tryin' to smile."

"So from that, you came to the conclusion that they're going on a date." Hinata sighed and crossed his arms. "I have asked you _many_ times to leave them be. How would you know where they're going to go for the date, if they are even going this weekend?"

"I can plant a microphone in Tanaka's clothes."

Hinata started into his friend's face and knew that the mechanic was completely serious. "No."

"I'm just gonna listen during their date and try to stop Sonia from doing anything she'll regret! I'm pretty good at sneakin'." Souda grinned.

"I beg to differ," Hinata said. "Your hair and clothes stick out. They'd know it was you in less than a second." He shook his head. "Why am I even talking about this? You're not following them. I have a date with Nanami that day, actually, so I can't make sure that you're going to leave them alone, but I trust that you'll do the right thing." His skeptical expression said otherwise, and Souda furrowed his brows in return.

"Hey, I don't need a babysitter, okay? I just told you because... because you're my friend, and you should know my plans for the weekend, right?"

"Your plans for the whole day consist of nothing but stalking an innocent couple?"

"It's not stalking!" Souda snarled. "Think about Sonia bein' in public with that guy. The news exploded last month when they recorded that video together, and if a bunch'a journalists start takin' pictures of them on a date, Sonia's reputation will be ruined!"

Hinata looked at his shoes as he thought. "Well, I guess you have a point that Tanaka looks a bit sketchy, but it's her choice if she wants to be out with him-"

"We don't know that! Dark voodoo magic is still a possibility!" Souda grabbed at his hat and looked around again, presumably for Tanaka or demons phasing through the walls. He seemed to think the two were the same thing.

Hinata sighed. He felt like he did that a lot when he was around Souda. "I can't talk about this anymore. I need to go study for the pre-calculus midterm tomorrow; I have a feeling that it's not going to go very well."

Souda blinked. "Dude, you're only in pre-calc? Shit's easy! I don't even need to study for math."

"Don't rub it in," Hinata grumbled. "Of course it's easy for a legendary engineer."

"Woah, legendary?" Souda laughed. "You're makin' me blush!" He rubbed at his cheek and said, "Whatever, go do your studyin' thing. You'll do as great as you always do, I'm sure."

"Thank you," Hinata said. Souda gave him a thumbs-up, watched his friend walk away, and prepared himself for the rest of his lonely Valentine's Day evening. Once in his dorm room, he planted a small microphone inside Tanaka's usual scarf and sewed it up as neatly as he could before enjoying the chocolates that Sonia got him.

Days later, after Souda finished his last midterm and fled the classroom to collapse into bed, he awoke to find Tanaka gone on the date and a familiar pile of purple fabric still folded on his dresser.

...

As the sun began its descent behind a flock of orange-rimmed clouds, Sonia checked herself in the mirror one last time before going out to meet her date. Tanaka had said that they were going somewhere fancy, but she hoped she wasn't overdoing it; she was never sure when some people considered gloves inappropriate, too outdated, too fancy, but she was sure Tanaka was not one to be hung up on appearances. She quickly decided that the evening would go about the same way with or without the accessories, so she threw on her jacket and clicked down the stairs.

Tanaka met her in front of her dorm with a bunch of flowers held in one hand, and Sonia gasped as she drew closer.

"This is the bleeding heart flower, yes?" she exclaimed, gingerly poking at a pink petal. "Where did you find them at this time of year?"

Tanaka laughed and handed her the bouquet. "Do not underestimate my ability to acquire the infamous _Lamprocapnos spectabilis_ or any other flora at any time of year, princess! As the Ascendant Ruler of Ice, one is able to control the climate."

He didn't tell her about his trips to the greenhouse. It was climate controlled, after all.

"These are wonderful!" Sonia brushed the soft petals against her cheek. "Thank you very much, Mister Tanaka. May I go put these in my room so they will be out of harm's way? I wouldn't want to hold my heart in my sleeves!"

Impressed that she had almost gotten the expression right, Tanaka smiled and nodded. When Sonia returned, they linked arms and began their walk.

"Your scarf looks quite dashing, Mister Tanaka!" she said. Tanaka fidgeted as she felt the silky red fabric. "The color matches your eye nicely."

She didn't comment on how it matched the flush in his face, as well.

"Thank you," he muttered. "You look..." He glanced over to Sonia for a moment. "You look... very nice, as well."

"Thank_ you!_" she said. "So where exactly are we going tonight?"

Tanaka straightened up, confident in the night's itinerary if nothing else. "As our mental reserves have been thoroughly drained, I planned, in my foresight, a relaxed evening. We will first dine at an establishment that is said to be otherworldly in terms of quality. Additionally, with the assistance of avian comrades, I have located a remote spot for watching what few celestial bodies are visible above the harsh glow of man-made lights, and we will go there after our meal." He hesitated. "That is, unless you had a different activity in mind."

"No, I agree, a relaxed outing is very welcome after a week of testing!" Sonia said, looking around as the two exited the gates of Hope's Peak and entered the city. "And we also agreed that you would plan our next date after witnessing my poor planning, yes? So I will go wherever you wish!"

"We also agreed that it was hardly poor planning, my lady," Tanaka said as he led Sonia down the streets. "The venture was quite remarkable overall."

Sonia giggled. "I'm sure that tonight will be remarkable, as well!"

They walked down the street for a few more blocks, making light conversation until they arrived in front of a small black building that emanated soft music from within. Tanaka opened the door for Sonia, and she gazed at the interior with wide eyes.

"The decor is quite different from that of the castle in Novoselic, but the atmosphere is the same," she said after a few moments. Her shoulders relaxed as she took in the orchestra and band, the chandelier in the room's center, the ornately carved furniture that made her feel at home. "I had no idea such a place was so close by." She turned to Tanaka and smiled. "It's wonderful."

Tanaka shut the door behind him and smiled back. "I am glad that I chose wisely."

Sonia laughed. "Don't you always?"

Tanaka looked at his shoes as a server approached to check their reservation. After confirming their 6:00 time slot, the couple was led to their table in the front of the small room, closest to the music. Sonia settled into her chair and watched the musicians play, mesmerized by the light reflecting off each instrument's polished sheen.

"I wish that I had learned how to play the violin," she sighed, turning back to Tanaka. "I have been instructed in other instruments, but the violin was always intriguing to me."

"You can still learn, can you not?" Tanaka asked, idly swirling the water in his glass.

"I could, but I don't have as much time as I did in my childhood," Sonia said. She grinned. "I have also wanted to play the accordion for many years! I know how to play the piano, so it wouldn't be quite as difficult, I hope."

Tanaka nodded, chuckling to himself at Sonia's wide scope of interests. "Yes, the noble child of the piano and the concertina has a most unique sound. I have heard street musicians play in my travels, and they have all utilized the musical apparatus to its full and most glorious extent."

"Do you play an instrument, Mister Tanaka?"

Tanaka let out a loud "ha" before catching himself and saying, in a quieter tone, "I play the sounds of nature, Miss Sonia. The percussive crack of ice, the steady tone of the wind, the rumble of the earth, the howl of a cruelly abandoned canine, the-"

"Can I get you two anything else to drink?"

Tanaka startled and jerked his head upwards to see the waitress trying to hide her smile in response to his spiel. He cleared his throat and shook his head in sync with Sonia.

Tanaka cleared his throat as the waitress walked away. "Yes, and so on. All these sounds combine to make a sound far more powerful, more influential than any human band could ever try to mimic, and that is the instrument I play."

Sonia's eyes gleamed under the soft light. "That is far better than playing an instrument in the traditional sense! I wonder how Miss Mioda would react to such a concept."

"Pah," Tanaka scoffed, opening the menu. "I doubt one so... rambunctious would stop to listen to the subtleties of such sound."

Sonia followed suit and said, "I believe there is more to her than meets the eye. I have discovered in the past months that many of our classmates have hidden depths that can be quite interesting to investigate."

Tanaka hummed in agreement, and both listened to the music as they looked over the choices. After placing their orders, the two continued to talk quietly until the food arrived. About halfway through the meal, Sonia noticed several servers moving unoccupied tables to make a space in the middle of the room.

"Is there something else happening?" she wondered. Tanaka smiled and didn't respond, as a suited man approaching the microphone appeared to be about to do so for him.

"I hope you are all having an enjoyable evening, honored guests," the gentleman said. "We will begin our scheduled dance in just a few moments. Feel free to continue eating and join whenever you wish." He stepped down and returned to his chair in the small orchestra, readying his bow for the next piece.

Sonia felt a presence at her side and turned to Tanaka, who was holding a hand out to her. She smiled and took it as a waltz began, and they walked to the center of the room where other couples had started to dance. Tanaka nervously took one of Sonia's gloved hands, put the other on her waist, and led her through the dance.

"I didn't know that you could waltz, Mister Tanaka!" Sonia beamed. "Did you take lessons?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes." Internet tutorials were close enough, Tanaka thought. He prayed that his hands weren't shaking too noticeably and continued to recite the steps in his head, staring intently at his feet.

After a few songs passed with few words from either, Sonia tilted Tanaka's head up with a finger. "Are you comfortable enough now? I'd rather see your face than your hair, though it is styled quite nicely," she said. At Tanaka's mumbled apology, she shook her head and smiled. "I don't mind if you step on my feet a bit, Mister Tanaka. I just want to see you."

Tanaka flushed as the two danced, and he managed to maintain eye contact with his date for a record time. His confidence grew slightly but diminished as Sonia rested her head on his chest during a particularly slow song. He put both arms around her in an embrace and was sure that she could hear his regretfully loud heartbeat as they swayed.

By the time they had returned to the table several songs later, their food had gone cold, but neither seemed to mind.

"Thank you for the lovely dances, Mister Tanaka," Sonia said with a curtsy before sitting again. "This has been a wonderful evening so far."

"It is not yet halfway over," Tanaka said, smiling softly as his nerves settled. "We may finish our business here before moving on."

As if one cue, the waitress arrived to take away the plates and promote the Valentine's Day-themed dessert, which she brought over a few minutes later after receiving a positive response. Two small, pink cakes were set onto the table and received with thanks before the waitress left the two to themselves again. They watched the last few couples who continued to dance and quickly finished their dessert before going back out to the makeshift dance floor.

When Sonia drew close a second time, Tanaka put his arms around her more readily, and the two stayed there even as the rest of the patrons filed out.

Once the orchestra began to pack up for the night, Tanaka and Sonia bid a good night to the servers and headed out, bundling up against the cold.

Sonia exhaled a cloud of her breath into the night air and watched it travel upwards as she asked, "Where to next, Mister Tanaka?"

Following her line of sight, he replied, "It is only a short walk." He hesitated for a moment before holding out his hand, and Sonia interlaced her fingers with his as the two set off to the next destination. They headed for the edge of the city, close to the beach, and walked to an old warehouse. Tanaka said that the front door was locked, so he stood in front of an empty window and offered Sonia a boost.

Sonia tentatively scooted closer. "Are you sure this isn't considered trespassing?"

"I have returned to this place several times at many hours of the day, and I can assure you that no one has passed by," Tanaka said. "The structure seems long abandoned, and I could not find a more remote spot for our purposes." He gestured to the window once more and knelt down, cupping his hands so Sonia could enter through the window.

She thought it over for a few moments, shrugged, and climbed into the empty room. Tanaka followed and led her up three flights of stairs, opening a door that led to the roof. Sonia clicked onto its center and looked around, gasping as she looked out onto the ocean.

"You really can see all the stars out there, where there are no lights," she whispered. Tanaka joined her and nodded, taking off his jacket to set down as a makeshift blanket. The two sat beside each other and looked out to the shimmering waters that reflected the moon and stars above.

Tanaka fidgeted. "Is this an appropriate location? Are you too cold? We may do something else if you find this irrelevant to your interests-"

"No, Mister Tanaka, it's wonderful," Sonia hushed. "I can barely hear the traffic, and if we keep facing this way, it's hardly like there's a whole city behind us at all." She smiled and put her head on his shoulder. "I cannot remember the last time I was somewhere so tranquil."

"I..." Tanaka swallowed. "I am glad you find it suitable."

They sat, enjoying the silence, as the moon rose steadily higher into the sky. Sonia huddled into her coat with a shudder, and Tanaka put an arm around her, feeling his heart rate spike again. He rubbed her shoulder to keep her warm but kept his gaze toward the water.

"There are thousands of undiscovered species that lurk in the ocean's depths," Tanaka whispered. "Those are the luckiest creatures. They know nothing of civilization or pollution, only of darkness and quiet. The animal kingdom is vicious, and no organism may rest for even a moment for fear of death, but I imagine those deepest under the water are the most peaceful, despite the danger."

Sonia hummed. "Well stated, Mister Tanaka. It's quite fascinating to think about what kinds of things we may never discover, isn't it?"

Tanaka nodded and slowly willed himself to calm down. "I'm glad I could discover you, Sonia."

Sonia had to stop herself from giggling at his unusual phrasing and hugged him from the side. The two sat with their arms around each other, listening to the soft sounds of waves and passing cars, and lost track of time as they contented themselves with the peaceful meeting of nature and man.

...

In a movie theater elsewhere, Hinata slowly turned his head to Nanami and began to lean in when an explosion sounded on the screen. He flinched backwards, repressing a yell of surprise, and tried to calm his heartbeat before he tried again.

He hit his target the second time, but Nanami didn't seem to notice the pair of lips on her cheek as she watched the movie adaptation of one of her favorite games. Hinata sighed quietly and leaned back, opting to take her hand instead. She squeezed back after a pause and, though her eyes remained focused forward, she smiled.


	14. Chapter 14

The next day, Souda noticed that Tanaka seemed to be in a particularly good mood after his date with Sonia. He scowled to himself and decided to leave the microphone in his roommate's scarf; it could come in handy later, though he would have to make sure not to mention it to Hinata.

Aside from bristling every time he heard Tanaka and Sonia talking across the room, Souda maintained his relative level of boredom throughout the day as his class went through the problems of the math and science tests. It wasn't until gym class that his things got a bit more interesting.

Now, he certainly had not been checking Tanaka out in the locker room. That would be creepy. Souda kept his eyes firmly downward every other time he had to change for class, but he wondered if he'd overlooked something, if maybe Sonia saw something under all that baggy clothing that made her attracted to Tanaka. All Souda did was peek at Tanaka as he took his shirt off, and if he was impressed by his back muscles, well, he figured it was just the kind of admiration that he felt when he wanted to be like someone.

Not that he wanted to be like Tanaka.

But having that kind of definition would definitely get some attention.

From girls.

Souda wondered how long he'd been staring and quickly turned away, resolving to take Nidai and Owari up on their offer to train and trying to forget the image of another guy with his shirt off.

Seriously, all Tanaka did was pet fluffy animals all day. How could he have _that_ much muscle tone-

Souda ignored the strange looks from his classmates as he stepped into the gym, muttering curses to drown out his thoughts.

...

The next day, Souda woke up at five in the morning as Nidai told him and changed into his spare gym clothes, wondering if getting ripped was even worth it if he was too tired to talk to anyone later in the day.

He eventually decided that, yes, getting a girlfriend was a higher priority than getting enough sleep, and headed to the track. It wasn't like he usually slept that much, anyway, as his projects would keep him up until the early morning at times, but at least he was doing something he actually liked on those days. Exercise wasn't nearly as enjoyable.

Souda shivered as he stepped outside to meet the others. He saw Mioda and Komaeda warming up alongside Nidai and Owari and waved. Three of the four present gave enthusiastic greetings, while Komaeda smiled and nodded.

"So," Souda said, trying to look as cheerful as the others, "what are we doin' today?"

Nidai finished his set of jumping jacks and said, "We will start with an easy five kilometers around the track before we do weight lifting inside! I will have to devise a routine for you later, Souda."

Souda blanched. "An _easy_ five kilometers?"

"Yes! Only Komaeda is exempt from running, but I expect the rest of you to do the best you can to keep up." He set off into a run, and Souda did his best to fall in line with the others for all of two minutes before he felt his lungs give in.

He noticed Mioda slowing down alongside him, the two now in a much easier jog. "Don't worry, Kazoo, Ibuki with run with you!" Mioda laughed. "I didn't even mean for that to be a rhyme! I've been writing song lyrics lately and it just came out that way, y'know? That's awesome! Ibuki has retrained her brain to think in rhymes so she can write drafts for ten songs in one day!"

Souda made some sort of groaning noise in acknowledgement and wondered how Mioda still had the ability to speak. As if reading his thoughts, she laughed again. "Don't worry about it! Ibuki's been running for years as a hobby 'cause she needs to stay all energetic and bub-bub-bubbly during stage performances-" Souda didn't think Mioda was even capable of running out of energy "-and she wasn't that great, either, at first, but you get better as you keep it up, y'know? Which reminds Ibuki of that one time when she tried teaching her middle school classmates how to headbang but they wouldn't listen because they all got headaches! But this one girl stuck with Ibuki so Ibuki gave her lessons every day because Ibuki is just that kind-"

Souda allowed Mioda's ramblings to fade into pleasant background noise as he focused on putting one foot in front of the other. She had always been one of the strangest in a class full of strange people, but Souda found her individuality refreshing - if exhausting - and wondered about that band she had been talking about; girls liked musical guys, right? So if he was ripped _and_ in a band, it stood to reason that he would be practically drowning in girlfriends. He'd have to ask Mioda about it later.

If he ever survived the five kilometers of running, anyway.

After losing count of how many laps they had ran - Souda guessed about ten, probably more - he and Mioda finally walked over to Nidai and Owari, who had finished long before. Komaeda joined them shortly after.

"Very well!" Nidai said, beginning to stretch his legs. "Now that we have warmed up, we will proceed to the gym for interval training and weight lifting. Everyone may begin their scheduled routine except for Souda, who will consult with me. Break!" He clapped his hands to conclude the brief meeting and sprinted toward the school building, Owari following close behind. Souda opted to walk with Mioda and Komaeda.

"How the hell do you guys do this every morning," Souda muttered, his voice too flat for the sentence to even sound like a question.

"Running helps Ibuki wake up!" Mioda chirped, swinging her arms. "It's nice to get outside before going into the school all day. Ibuki twitches all throughout class if she doesn't run earlier!"

Komaeda nodded and wrapped his arms around himself. "I agree. It gets pretty cold out here, but it does make me feel a bit stronger as I can walk farther each day." He smiled. "Tsumiki told me that it can help my recovery, and she generally seems to know what she's talking about."

Souda rolled his eyes as Komaeda chuckled. "Yeah, funny," he said before turning to Mioda. "Hey, thanks for the moral support earlier. I sure as hell couldn't have run that far by myself."

"It was Ibuki's pleasure!" Mioda grinned. "We need to get you in good shape before we form the band, right, right? Ibuki thinks we should get the others to join us, too!"

Souda grinned back. "Hey, I was actually gonna ask you about that! We should brainstorm some names for it later."

Chatting lightly, the three headed inside, where Nidai and Owari were already sparring.

"I will be with you in just a moment, Souda," Nidai said, blocking a kick that landed just a bit too high. "Owari!" he barked. "I told you not to aim at the head!"

Owari snorted and went to punch Nidai in the gut. He caught her fist and held up his free hand in a signal to stop, turning to Souda. "Now! I will record the percentage of fat in your body and take your measurements before devising a training plan. Follow me."

Souda walked with his now-personal trainer to a small office with various scales and supplies. After holding up a small machine that recorded his body fat and reminding himself to take it apart later, he stood with his arms flexed as Nidai wrapped a tape measure around his biceps.

"Your upper body is quite impressive," Nidai commented idly, writing down a number before going to measure Souda's chest.

The mechanic, unsure how to take such a compliment from another man, managed to stutter, "Uh... thanks?"

He found it pretty damn sad that this was the most he'd ever been touched in his life and tried not to wince as Nidai's hands wrapped around his waist. The hip measurement was worse still.

"What the hell do you even need these numbers for, anyway?" Souda asked, trying to break the uncomfortable silence. "Ain't the hip to waist ratio somethin' that only girls care about?"

"You _should_ care, Souda!" Nidai said, returning to his clipboard. "If your waist carries too much fat, it can be very problematic for your health later on." He scribbled something and added, "Not that you have that problem, of course, but I have taken these measurements for every person who has ever trained under me, and I do not intend to stop now." He set the papers down and moved behind Souda. "I am now going to measure the gluteal muscles."

"What are th-"

Souda squealed as he felt two hands firmly squeeze his ass.

He stumbled to the side and pressed his back against the wall. "_Fuck,_ what the _hell,_" he sputtered. "What the _fuck_ kinda measurement is that?"

Nidai blinked. "The gluteus maximus, medius, and minimus muscles make up one's buttocks and are some of the strongest muscles in the body. I was checking to see how developed they were."

Souda put his hands on his butt defensively. "How the fuck do you _measure_ that?" he squawked. "Is there like a scale, really firm to really jiggly or some shit?"

"Something like that, yes," Nidai muttered, writing more notes down. "I apologize, and I will have to remember not to upset you in the future. The foul language is unpleasant."

"Well, maybe warn me next time you're gonna just grab a handful," Souda huffed. "Or don't do it at all."

"I did warn you," Nidai said calmly, beckoning Souda over again. The mechanic groaned and shuffled away from the wall. "You will be happy to know that they are well developed, but squats and lunges in particular could further improve your muscle tone."

Souda hoped the heat rising to his face didn't show as he muttered, "Shut it."

The examination continued for another few moments that Souda found infinitely more uncomfortable. He burst out of the office as soon as possible, almost eager to exercise just to get away from Nidai's roaming hands for the next hour. The man evidently didn't understand or care about the concept of personal space, and Souda briefly wondered how the hell Nidai and Tanaka were friends if that was the case.

His hopes were for naught, in any case. After Nidai showed him how to properly use the machines, Souda was led through a vigorous routine that his trainer claimed would measure his cardiovascular and muscular endurance. The mechanic already knew that he couldn't run for shit and had to give in after five minutes on the treadmill, but he was pretty proud of how much weight he could bench press until he saw Owari lifting twice as much.

By the time everyone was ready to cool down, Souda stood from the weight rack with shaky legs, forced his sore muscles to walk to the center of the room, and sat with a wince as Nidai led the others through stretches.

"I may never walk again," Souda mumbled.

"Do not get discouraged, Souda!" Nidai said, leaning into a hamstring stretch. "If you need relief from your soreness, I can employ several techniques to leave you in a haze of pleasure. You will forget all about worldly pains!"

Souda froze. "What."

Owari grinned. "Yeah, Nidai's really good. Even the professionals can't match him."

"The professionals?" Souda squeaked.

Owari nodded. "I may have him do it for me later, y'know? If you wanna join, I'm sure the old man wouldn't mind-"

"No, hey, I'm not like that!" Souda said, trying to sound assertive despite the high pitch in his voice. He scrambled to his feet before his exhausted legs gave out under him, and he ended up sitting a few steps closer to Nidai.

"I have done it for many of my players before," Nidai reassured. "I will not harm you."

Mioda and Owari doubled over laughing at the expression on Souda's face.

"Okay, okay, fun's over," the latter said, wiping a tear from her eye. "We don't wanna scare'im away. Old man's talkin' about massages, not what you were thinkin', Pinkie."

"Oh," Souda said, scooting away from Nidai. "Well. Still. No."

"You talk big, Pinkie, but you're really a little pussycat," Owari said with a chuckle. "I bet your face would burn a hole through my shirt if I ever let you anywhere near my boobs."

Souda didn't have a response to that.

...

The next few weeks passed in a haze of anything but pleasure. Souda fell into his routine early in the morning and dragged himself back up to the dorm an hour later to fit in a quick shower before class. He would admit that he did feel a bit more awake after working out, but walking became very difficult very quickly as Nidai insisted on making Souda run longer distances. The squats only made the pain worse, but Souda could comfort himself with the fact that Nidai was always in front of him, or somewhere else altogether, when he did his sets.

He refused every offer for a massage, of course, but he couldn't say that he wasn't tempted to give in after the first week of soreness. Hinata's praises of Nidai's technique certainly didn't help, and Souda felt a spike of jealousy as he realized, not for the first time, how easily Hinata had made connections with everyone in their class.

Still, Souda felt more confident after several weeks and accepted the soreness as a sign of his hard work. When he told Nidai as much after another morning workout, he received a hearty slap on the back, and the other man's hand lingered for just a second before drawing away. Souda tried to ignore it; Nidai had never been the type of respect personal boundaries, so Souda could easily convince himself that Nidai was just showing encouragement in whatever way he could.

When he was asked out to eat, though, Souda couldn't really ignore how... _weird_ things had gotten.

"You want me to go to a restaurant with you?" Souda repeated, gaping at Nidai after class one day.

"Indeed. There is someone I would like you and Mioda to meet." Nidai smiled as he waved said musician over. "His name is Leon Kuwata, and I have heard that he may be entering this school next year for his talent in baseball. I have coached his team before, but he has never attended practice. It is a tragic waste of his potential for him to have such a lax attitude."

Mioda bounced over and said, "Ooh, ooh, is he that kid with the shaved head and the piercings?"

Nidai nodded, and Souda relaxed a little. Leave it to the old man to phrase things in the worst way possible; it wasn't a date, just... an outing. Among friends. Souda cleared his throat. "So, why do you want us to meet'im? I don't know much about sports, honestly, so I don't know what we'd have in common."

"I spoke with him after a game one day and asked why he is never present at practices," Nidai explained. "He told me that he has little interest in baseball and wishes to pursue a musical career." Mioda squealed, and Nidai smiled as he continued. "I have overheard that the two of you wish to form a band, so perhaps you could convince him to join. It is a shame that he doesn't have interest in his talent, but forcing someone to do something they don't enjoy for teammates they don't appreciate is hardly the best way to make them see their potential." Nidai shook his head. "It is a tricky situation, but I believe that, as he pursues other interests, he will discover if he truly loves the sport or not."

Mioda hummed to herself and said, "Ibuki will never turn down a fellow musician! When he we meet him? Do you know what instrument he plays? What kinda music does he like? What-"

"Chill out, Mioda," Souda laughed. "We can figure out all that other stuff when we actually talk to'im. Sounds like we both wanna go, though, so when can we meet up?"

"I will have to arrange it with him as soon as possible," Nidai said, still smiling.

In the next week, the possibility of meeting someone new helped Souda get through his workouts. Sure, he had never been much of a baseball fan, but he was pretty excited to form a band and show off his new muscles onstage, so new additions to the band couldn't be a bad thing, right?

Then he looked up pictures of Kuwata, noticed the star's lean but muscular physique, and decided that having the competition would only hurt Souda in the long run; chicks usually went more for sporty guys than guys in bands, he thought, but Mioda seemed as excited about meeting Kuwata as she did eating sugary cereals or looking at fluffy clouds, so Souda tried to go into the lunch date with an open mind.

The kid crossed a line when he disregarded Mioda, though.

"The hell did you just say?" Souda snarled, trying to keep his voice down in the small cafe.

Kuwata put his hands up, open-palmed, as though to pacify Souda. Mioda herself didn't seem offended. "Hey, I'm not sayin' that she's a bad musician; she's totally the opposite! It's because she's such a good guitarist that I can't be in the band." Souda's mouth snapped open to retort, but Kuwata quickly continued, "See, the reason I wanna be a singer is so I can get girls, so I need to be the most popular guy in the band, or everyone'll go for Mioda or whoever else is the most famous, y'know?"

Souda was about to make the point that only guys would go for Mioda before he remembered that she would date pretty much anyone who caught her sporadic interests for long enough, so he kept his mouth shut for once as Mioda grinned and affirmed that, yes, _everyone_ went for Ibuki. Souda took the time to think; Kuwata didn't seem like a bad guy at all, and the two of them wanted to get into music for the same (admittedly shallow) reasons, but what pissed Souda off was that the kid didn't know what he already had.

To break a lull in the conversation, Souda said, "'Ey, Kuwata, don't you already get girls, bein' a famous baseball star and all?"

Kuwata shrugged. "Well, yeah, of course, but a lot of them aren't really my type; they actually _like_ baseball, and I don't. I wanna find girls who admire me for doing something I like."

Souda frowned. "If you don't like baseball, why do you play it?"

"People just expect me to, I guess," Kuwata said, shifting in his seat. "I don't even need practice to be good at it, but I wanna make my own decisions and do something that I wasn't forced into doing." He took a chug of his soda and slammed the glass onto the table, effectively ending that topic of conversation and making Souda almost jump out of his seat. "So! What kind of music were you guys gonna play? Do you have any name ideas? I might join if I can't find anyone else and if I like where you're goin'."

Mioda grinned. "Ibuki and her friends are gonna try out all different kinds of music styles before we find one we play best! Maybe we'll mix styles to make something new, like light metal or soft alternative or heavy rock or punk classical or -"

Souda snickered. "I don't think 'Heavy Rock' is the best band name... or genre name. Or name in general."

Kuwata laughed and looked to Mioda with interest. "Punk classical, huh? That could be kinda cool. Are you the type who likes all kinds of different stuff?"

Mioda's attempt to nod ended with Souda brushing stray hairs off his food. "Ibuki will listen to or play anything! She's even tried scatting and beatboxing before, but that didn't turn out as well as she'd hoped, but she_ has_ done some rapping that her lucky audience that night really loved!"

Kuwata stared at his plate for a few moments, trying to control the smile twitching at his lips. He looked up, eyes wide, and said, "Yeah, this could definitely work out. It'd be a huge honor to play with you, and we can just share the girls, right?"

Mioda nodded again, and Souda dodged the flying mass of hair that followed the gesture. "Yes, yes, great! Awesome! So you're vocals, I'm guitar and backup vocals, Kazoo is... something we don't know yet, but maybe bass, and we have a drummer, too!" Her grin was returned wholeheartedly by Kuwata, but she barely noticed as she turned to Nidai. "Hey, hey, you haven't said a word this whole time, Kitty! What do you think?"

Nidai's brows twitched at the nickname, but he kept a neutral tone as he said, "Whatever you all wish to do is fine. I will admit that I don't know much about music, but I will support you all to the best of my ability!"

Mioda and Kuwata cheered, and the rest of the conversation turned to other topics. As the group exited the building, Kuwata pulled Souda aside.

"Hey," he whispered, "do you know if Ibuki is dating anyone right now?"

Souda wrenched his arm free and said, "Um, yeah, kinda. I don't really know what's goin' on with her and this one person from our class, but everyone just assumes they're together." He snickered. "What, did you wanna ask her out or somethin'?"

Kuwata scratched at his neck and looked at his shoes. "Well, yeah, I guess... I mean, she's cool and pretty and famous, and we could sing some really awesome duets together, I bet-"

"No, no, no," Souda hissed. "Don't go there until y'know that she likes you back, or you'll screw yourself over."

Kuwata blinked. "But did y'see the way she looked at me? With that beaming smile and those awesome piercings that just make her that much_ more_ awesome and-"

Souda sighed. "She's like that with everyone, okay? She's just a really bubbly person, and she _is_ pretty awesome, but don't go gettin' yourself in over your head."

Mioda's trilling call several meters away cut Souda off before he could say anything more, so he tried to hide the fact that the noise had startled him by rolling his eyes and waving Kuwata down the street to the subway. He saw the aspiring musician off, promising to get in touch soon for an experimental jam session, and walked back to the school with Mioda and Nidai.

"Man, that kid's pretty excitable, huh?" Souda muttered, hands in his pockets; he hadn't bothered changing from his mechanic's uniform for the outing.

Mioda nodded, bouncing down the street. "Not as excitable as yours truly, of course, but Ibuki likes his spunk, y'know? He's a dreamer! A doer! He's making stuff happen, and those are the best kinds of people!"

Souda shrugged. "Yeah, but his motives are kinda weird, don't you think? I mean, he's probably getting hit on his ride home right now; girls don't need much more of a reason to date'im."

Mioda wrinkled her nose. "Eww, Ibuki hopes that he's not getting hit on by any creeps! The subway can be a very sketchy place. People have tried to look up Ibuki's skirt more than once, and she had to unleash her most powerful screams to stop them! They usually screamed back, of course, but they didn't bother Ibuki after that because they were too busy trying to get their hearing back to bother her anymore." Mioda ruffled her hair and added, "Actually, pretty much everyone leaves Ibuki alone after she does that outside of a performance. But people love it onstage!"

"Well, yeah, 'cause it's a damn concert and they're expectin' it to be loud," Souda said. "Anyway, Nidai, what do you think? Is any of this dickin' around actually gonna help the kid?"

"Hey!" Mioda protested. "This has nothing to do with your naughty parts! Ibuki is one hundred percent serious about this band!"

Nidai laughed, a deep, loud kind of sound that put Souda at ease somehow, and said, "Well, we shall have to see. Forcing a young man into putting so much time in for something he doesn't like has never helped matters, in my experience, so I can only hope that Kuwata will come to his own conclusions."

Mioda nodded sagely. "Wise words, Kitty!" She leaped past the school gates and started rattling off potential band names as Souda wondered exactly what he had signed himself up for.


	15. Chapter 15

"So-so-so-Souda! Ibuki was thinking about - wow, you sure are jumpy today!"

"Well, you're so damn loud! You're gonna... disturb the chocolate."

"Is Kazoo thinking of soufflés? Because Ibuki can scream at chocolate all day and all it'll do is start dancing!"

"I don't want to think about soufflés. Ever."

Mioda nodded sagely. She heard of Hanamura and his "cooking class" a few months ago from Saionji, who could barely tell the story through her snickers. "Well, anyway! The band! Ibuki thought of some more names and is passing the list around, so please-" she thrust a pink gel pen into Souda's mitted hand and slammed a piece of paper next to the stove "-circle your favorite."

Souda huffed. "Ibuki, White Day is tomorrow. M'too worked up to think about the band."

"Don't worry, Ibuki is sure that your chocolate will be awful!" She winked. "That whole batch better be for her, because she'll eat it anyway."

"Yours is already in the fr-" Souda cleared his throat. "Never mind." He circled the second name on the list after barely a glance at the paper. "There. Happy?"

Mioda pouted. "You didn't even read 'em! Ibuki put so much thought into these... fine, she'll come back when Kazoo isn't thinking naughty thoughts about girls. Toodles!"

"Hey!" Souda yelled at the slamming door. He sighed and frowned at the brown sludge left over in his mixing bowl before heading to the sink. Someone would be out for blood if he didn't clean up after himself, and there was quite a lot to clean. Souda tried to convince himself that it was the gesture of giving that counted, anyway, not the actual gift, before remembering just what sort of gifts Sonia would be accustomed to.

"Can't cook for shit," he mumbled, wrenching off the oven mitt and tearing away at the bowl with a sponge. He tensed as he heard the door open.

"Ooh, do I hear some naughty language in here?"

Souda never wanted to hear the word "naughty" again, especially coming from Hanamura. He kept his head down and eyes on the sink, though he couldn't stop his teeth from clenching.

"Fine, fine, if you don't want help, I'll just be making my superior confections here. Don't mind me."

Like he needed Hanamura's help for anything. He'd rather shove rusty screws into every opening of his own body.

"Why can't you cook in your own kitchen?" Souda asked. He tossed the bowl onto the drying rack, scurried to the stove with a sponge, and started on the mess there, all while avoiding eye contact with the small chef.

"This is the students' kitchen, dear Souda. The chefs' kitchen is busy as always, so I came here. I won't be long." Hanamura started whistling at a pitch that would make dogs howl, and the door slamming open a second time added to the cacophony. Souda scrubbed at the stove with increasing panic as he heard Nidai's voice rattle the pots on the wall.

"Hello, Hanamura and Souda!" Nidai strolled into the kitchen, Hinata and Tanaka following close behind. "I hope it won't be too cramped in here with three more."

"Don't worry, I was about to leave," Souda muttered, shoving his last batch of chocolate into the freezer and tossing the sponge back into the sink.

"Wait, Souda! I sense an opportunity for a great male bonding experience," Nidai laughed, clapping Souda on the shoulder as the other boy headed for the door.

Souda never ceased to be amazed at Nidai's ability to phrase things in the most uncomfortable way. He shrugged his shoulder to dislodge the hand and said, "Um, sure, I guess, but I'm already done with everything I needed to do here, so..."

"So you can help us!"

Souda looked to Hinata for help, who rolled his eyes and said, "I don't know about you two, but I don't really need help. It's not that hard to make chocolate."

Tanaka laughed and added, "As though the great Gundam Tanaka would need assistance from the sniveling one in something so simple as preparing a traditional offering to the goddesses!" He strolled into the kitchen, making sure his scarf was out of the way before he started collecting ingredients.

Hinata snorted. "Yeah, well, there you go. C'mon, Nidai."

Nidai nodded and said, "Then I will see you tomorrow before the sun rises, Souda!"

"What?" Souda whined. "But it's a holiday! Don't we get those off?"

"I suppose you can take your rest day early, if you wish, but remember that a true athlete never lets outside factors affect his training."

Souda nodded back and stumbled from the kitchen, grateful to be out of that mess. It wasn't like he aspired to be a true athlete, anyway.

...

Souda woke up early the next morning to get his chocolates from the freezer and cover any imperfections with sprinkles. Lots of sprinkles and lots of melted, store-bought chocolate. If he made the coating thick enough, maybe no one would notice the inside.

Besides, Mioda loved sprinkles, so she wouldn't care.

Arriving at the door to the students' kitchen, Souda opened the door as quietly as possible and stuck his head in. He couldn't see or hear anyone, so, with relief, he stepped inside and headed to the freezer. After tasting one of the more deformed chocolates, Souda discovered that they were actually palatable, but he still opened near every cabinet in the kitchen looking for toppings. He found a jar of sprinkles along with a bag of white chocolate and went to work.

By the time he arrived to class, Souda had several hastily labelled bags in his arms, and, behind his mountain of gift wrapping, he saw a few others distributing presents. He set the bags on his usual desk and took a proper look around the room.

The imposter never discussed their gender and seemed able to dress up as any sex, so they had conveniently presented themselves as a boy for Valentine's Day and as a girl for White Day. Mioda poked fun at her beau before handing her a box and receiving a neatly wrapped package in return, and Souda took the cue to hand each classmate a bag.

"Thank you, Kazoo!" Mioda chuckled to herself as she opened the package and said, "Woah, you know just what Ibuki likes! You could have just given her a bag of sprinkles and she'd be happy." She popped one of the chocolates in her mouth and hummed in satisfaction.

The swindler smiled. "Yes, thank you, Souda."

"No problem, guys!" Souda flashed a grin and turned back to his desk to get a bag for Tsumiki. He approached the nurse, who had been looking wistfully over at Mioda and the swindler before she turned with a squeak. She began stammering as she noticed the proffered bag and the slight smile on Souda's face.

"I-I shouldn't accept anything so nice, but I'm... I'm honored you went through the trouble, and you would be insulted if I didn't accept, right?" she stuttered.

Souda almost said that he probably would have just eaten the chocolates himself, but what small amount of common decency he had stopped him. "Well, I wouldn't really be insulted, but I'm returning the favor from last month. Pretty girls should get candy from someone on a day like today, right?"

"Gee, thanks, Kazoo!" Mioda called out. She and the swindler snickered as Souda held back a cry of surprise. "Ibuki knows how gorgeous she is!"

"Yeah, no problem," he muttered, rolling his eyes. Tsumiki giggled. "Hey, you... gonna take these or what?"

"O-oh, I'm sorry!" Tsumiki took the bag from Souda's hand and scarfed down two chocolates, looking to Souda for his approval. "They're very good! Thank you so much."

"Yeah, no problem," Souda said. "Glad you like 'em."

Mioda walked over and pulled Souda away by the arm, waving at Tsumiki as they retreated.

"What are you doing?" Souda demanded, wrenching his arm back to his side once Mioda led him across the room.

"Teaching you how to talk to girls!" Mioda replied. "'Hey, uh, you gonna take these or what?'" she mimicked. "Not very charming, Zuzu!"

"Hey, I'm not tryin' to flirt with her!" He stole a glance over his shoulder. "I mean, yeah, she's cute an' pretty and all that, but my loyalty lies with Sonia." He put his hands on his hips and puffed out his chest. "I'm a monogamous man, Mioda."

Mioda imitated his pose. "Well, you might have a better shot if you set your sights elsewhere, if you get Ibuki's drift." She winked.

"Yeah, whatever," Souda mumbled, heading back to his desk as Sonia, Tanaka, Nidai, and Owari entered. The mechanic turned to see a huge stuffed orca walking into the room on a pair of red heels. He held back a scream as Sonia's head popped out from behind the black mass in her arms.

"Good morning, everyone!" she said, not at all bothered by the attention. Tanaka, slinking in behind her and trying to hide his height behind the toy, was the opposite.

Sonia's greeting was drowned out by Mioda's exclamations as she skipped up to pet the orca. "Ooh, it's so soft!" she crooned. "Tanana is so generous!"

Tanaka flinched at the nickname and at the stares of his classmates. He adjusted his scarf and said, "Well, such an expense hardly affects someone with infinite resources, of course." To direct everyone's attention elsewhere, he began handing gifts out to others alongside Nidai, and Souda took the opportunity to approach Sonia.

"Hey, mornin', Miss Sonia!" He held out the last bag and offered another grin. "These are for you. They ain't exactly... that," he said, gesturing to the whale, "but I hope they came out okay."

Sonia smiled back, shifting the toy to one arm to accept the bag. "Thank you so much, Mister Souda. I am sure they are wonderful." She laughed. "I should really set this all down somewhere before I fall over, yes?"

"Oh, yeah, that thing's a little... floppy-lookin'," Souda said, looking at the whale again. "Need help?"

"That would be much appreciated, yes." Sonia held out the bag, and Souda went to set it on her desk. She placed the whale in her seat as she prepared to go greet everyone. "Isn't he cute? He is ready to learn!" She giggled. "Perhaps I should name him... Spreitzer."

Souda blinked. "Uh. That a Novoselic name or somethin'?"

"German, I believe. He was a leader of the Chicago Rippers, an American cult responsible for eighteen disappearances a few decades ago. He was sentenced to death but saved shortly before his execution; there was a ban on the death penalty in his state. Imagine his relief!" Sonia paused. "Although I suppose life in prison is hardly an attractive alternative."

"Why not name'im somethin' cute, like... Speckles?"

Sonia laughed again. "Well, Spreitzer is a bit more fun to say, I think, but you may call him Speckles if you wish." She opened Souda's bag and read the note inside. Souda watched her face carefully for any change of expression, but Sonia's face remained still as she turned her head up to him.

"Mister Souda, this is very sweet, but you must realize that I am seeing Mister Tanaka, correct?"

"I... well, yeah, but I was just, uh, sayin' how I felt, I guess." Souda bit at the inside of his cheek. "Is that okay?"

Sonia let out a soft breath through her nose and said, "I appreciate the sentiment, but I cannot approve of this letter or of your more troubling behavior for the past few months. You are a very kind and interesting person, but your advances are unfortunately unwelcome at this time." She set the letter back into its bag and placed it on her desk. "I apologize for any inconvenience, but I am still grateful for your gift and hope that our relations will not become strained."

As she walked to the other side of the room, Souda felt as though he had been simultaneously scolded by his mother and rejected by an automated message. He ran his tongue over the puncture wounds in his mouth and returned to his seat.

...

After thinking the matter over during class, Souda almost decided to move on; the past few months of crushing on Sonia hadn't really gotten him anywhere, and there were other cute girls in the world. Hell, there were tons of them, even if very few were princesses. Wooing Sonia had become too exhausting, in any case, and wasn't producing any good results.

He'd never actually seen Tanaka performing any rituals or doing any chants in their room, anyway. He might have just hung all the occult stuff up for show.

This was all before Souda remembered one very important detail and caught Hinata on his way out of class. "Hey, Hinata, buddy!" Souda started. "Are you busy later?"

Hinata shook his head. "Not today. I have a date with Nanami over the weekend, though." He paused, and a look of apprehension crossed his face before he said, "Why?"

"So that microphone I was talkin' about last month is still in Tanaka's scarf, and -"

"You left that in there?" Hinata hissed, pulling Souda aside. "I didn't even think you were really desperate enough to install it in the first place. Souda, take that out. That is a complete invasion of privacy."

"But we can have some fun with it, right?"

"No, Souda. Take it out."

"Just one night! Just to listen in on their date, and then I'll take it out."

Hinata ran a hand over his face. "What do you even want to listen in for? I thought you were trying to break them up, not make a daytime drama out of their love life." His eyes narrowed. "Not that you should do that first thing, either."

"I need to know how he does it: the kinds of things he says, his tone of voice, anything that we could use as proof that he's using some voodoo dark magic shit." Souda widened his eyes in a way that was supposed to be pleading. Hinata thought he looked like a fish. "I'll only take it out if I have you as a witness to what he says."

"You still honestly believe that he's cursing her?"

"Well, what else could it be?"

Hinata knew very well what else it could be, and he suspected Souda did, too. Souda probably just didn't want to believe that he wasn't as attractive to Sonia as Tanaka was.

The first order of business was putting an end to the stalker-like tendencies, though, so Hinata sighed and nodded his assent. "Fine, one night only. Then you're going to take it out of the scarf and give me the recording device."

"Which one?"

"Which one?" Hinata exploded. "Why is there more than one?"

"Well, he didn't take his normal scarf along on his date a month ago, so I had to go through all of 'em and install more."

Hinata leaned against the wall and slid to the floor, forehead resting on his knees. "Okay," he said. "Okay." He took a deep breath. "You will take them all out after tonight, and then I will smash all of them right in front of you."

"That's not fair!" Souda protested. "What if I need 'em for something else?"

"You won't, because you're going to stop doing stuff like this. It's really creepy and probably illegal."

"Well, I expect monetary compensation for all the shit I paid for to build those," Souda said, crossing his arms.

Hinata looked up. "Trust me, I will pay you any amount if it stops Sonia or Tanaka from getting a restraining order."

"Okay, sweet! I'll call you after Tanaka leaves tonight, and we can listen in my room."

Hinata didn't bother asking how Souda knew about the date. He didn't want to know anymore.

...

"Okay, ready?"

"You know, if someone told me at the start of the school year that I would be spending my time at the most prestigious school in the nation spying on a princess and her boyfriend, I would laugh in their face, but it-"

"Shh, I'm turnin' it on now!"

"You're not even listening to me."

"It's really muffled..."

"Maybe because there's, I dunno, a bunch of fabric-"

"Wait, I hear someone!"

_"Are you-"_

...

"-enjoying yourself, Miss Sonia?" Tanaka asked, willing his fingers not to tremble as they interlaced with his date's.

"Of course!" Sonia responded. "I have never been to a zoo before. It's amazing to see animals from all over the world in one place, though it is a bit sad that they don't have as much room to live as they would in the wild."

Tanaka nodded as the pair passed by a caged lion. "Yes, I used to think similarly in my younger, less learned form." He flushed. "Not to insinuate that you are uneducated, of course. I apologize."

Sonia giggled. "No, I am not offended. Go on."

Tanaka cleared his throat. "It is a shame that these creatures must be put on display for the amusement of inferior mortals, but they live longer here than they would in their natural surroundings and are given comfortable lives. This is particularly advantageous to endangered species, which can be bred here until the population reaches its previous state of glory, but I do agree that living in an enclosed space for all of one's life is... sad. It is ideal to breed animals in their natural settings, but this is not always possible with the destruction humanity has wrought on so many habitats." He sighed. "I have mixed emotions about the matter, I suppose. In any case, it is not nearly as heinous as the domestication of livestock for slaughter."

...

"Damn, he's boring. Are you hearin' this shit?"

"Hey, I like the zoo! Maybe I should go there with Nanami sometime..."

"Fine, yeah, don't invite me. Whatever."

"You can come, too, Souda. You like sharks, right? Maybe there's an aquarium somewhere around here."

"Um..."

_"Ooh, I have an idea! Maybe we could-"_

...

"-sneak in at night and go into some of the habitats! Wouldn't that be exciting?"

Tanaka's hand twitched in Sonia's. "Miss Sonia, with all due respect, I believe that could be bit a dangerous for you," he said, looking to a couple of bears tearing chunks off their dinner. "I can put the necessary protection spells in place, of course, but I cannot guarantee which creatures here may be supernatural beings in disguise. I do not sense any particularly powerful forces, but the most powerful can disguise their true nature."

"Couldn't we just go in with the birds, then? Or the elephants? Oh, I have always wanted to ride an elephant!" Sonia's head whipped from side to side, as though an elephant might appear to grant her wish.

"I... hm." Tanaka closed his eyes to think for a moment. "If that is what my lady desires, I could simply take you to the natural habitat of the elephant. African or Asian?"

"African elephants have such magnificent ears!" Sonia hummed as she walked along before she stopped to say, "Oh, but what will we do about security cameras?"

Tanaka snorted. "The feeble human attempt at mimicking omniscience can do nothing in the face of the Dark Queen and King!"

"Yes, of course!" Sonia laughed. "Well, perhaps we can admire the elephants from afar for now, at least." She tried to lower the pitch of her voice. "Then, once night falls... we will strike!"

Families passing by gave the couple a wide berth as they cackled past the exhibits.

...

"Dude, dude, he's makin' her do illegal shit! We gotta stop'em!"

"Sonia was the one who suggested it in the first place, and I doubt that they're really going to break into a zoo at night. They have more common sense than that."

"..."

"..."

"No, you're givin' Tanaka too much credit. This seems like the kinda thing he'd do."

"Have you actually ever had one conversation with him? Do you even know what kind of person he really is?"

"Yeah, we talked enough for me to know what a pretentious stick up the ass he is!"

"Do you mean stick in the mud?"

"No, stick up the ass sounds about right."

"Look, can we just turn this off? Nothing's happening, and I want to take a nap."

"But they're gonna break in, remember? Illegal shit?"

"No, they're not. Let it go, Souda. And take the microphone out. I expect all this spying equipment in my possession by the end of the week."

"Fine, fine. Go take your damn nap. And don't forget to pay me back!"

...

Sonia and Tanaka stayed at the zoo until closing time and then walked a few short blocks to the oceanfront. Sonia stifled a yawn as the couple settled onto a bench.

"I believe I may be just a bit too tired to see those elephants tonight, Mister Tanaka," she said, resting her head on Tanaka's shoulder. "Perhaps another time."

Tanaka tried not to breathe a sigh of relief. "Yes, another time," he repeated. "Truly, that establishment may never be ready for our combined wrath."

Sonia giggled. "That is true. Perhaps we could own a nature reservation one day, and then we could ride the elephants for as long as we pleased." She sighed, a lazy smile spreading across her lips. "You could keep as many rare animals as you wanted, and I would invite people from all over the world to come visit."

"I would like that," Tanaka murmured. Sonia noticed a softer tone in his voice and looked up to see one of his rare smiles, the unrestrained sort that he never showed around too many people. Tanaka glanced over and tried not to instinctively pull away at the closeness of his face to hers. He swallowed, looking back to the water, and the couple fell into silence as Tanaka failed to calm himself with the waves' steady motions.

Sonia tucked her legs beneath her on the bench and linked her arm around Tanaka's. "What was the most crazy, childish dream you ever had, Mister Tanaka?"

"Childish dream," he muttered. "I would hesitate to admit my weakness in my younger form, but I would also loathe to be dishonest with you." He sighed. "The most unrealistic aspiration to ever grace my young mind was that my mother and I could run away somewhere together, free from devilish influences."

"Oh," Sonia said, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to remind you of any painful memories."

Sensing the dampened mood, Tanaka added, "It was also a wish of mine to go to space one day. I was always quite taken with the noble silence and beauty of the cosmos."

Sonia nodded, burrowing her head farther into Tanaka's shoulder. "I have been meaning to study constellations, but other subjects always capture my interest first. We should look into it together soon." She thought for a moment. "Well, I believe my most childish dream was to become part of Novoselic's detective force, or even an international detective. My duties as heir to the throne occupy too much time for that to become a reality, but it was nice to imagine myself learning about criminals firsthand. I could have interviewed famous serial killers!"

Tanaka chuckled. "Our aspirations varied greatly from those of other human children, then."

"Well, many children do want to be astronauts when they grow up," Sonia joked, poking Tanaka in the arm.

"No, I never wished to go to space for the benefit of humans," Tanaka said, smiling into Sonia's touch. "The solitude and chaos hidden in tranquility were what attracted my attentions to the heavens, but I have since realized that I am needed on the terrestrial plane for a while longer."

"You certainly are," Sonia said, moving slightly closer.

Tanaka flushed and took a moment to breathe in, lungs aching with a question he had never had the courage to ask. It had been long enough, he thought. "Miss Sonia, I..." His hand clenched into a shaky fist. "I was wondering if..." His tone changed as he said, "As humans undergo the proper courtship rituals, they seem to find joy in the inane act of sealing their affection with a bond of saliva and various bacteria, do they not?"

Sonia's smile widened. "Why, yes! It is a bit of a bizarre ritual, when you stop to think about it, but it is also quite lovely, in my experience."

Tanaka nodded, exhaled. "Miss Sonia," he repeated, "may we consolidate such a pact?"

Sonia turned to the side, closing one hand over Tanaka's. "Of course," she said, her most reassuring smile present.

Tanaka shifted to look at the princess. He tried to keep his free hand from shaking as he reached for her shoulder. Her eyelids lowered, and he closed his eyes as he moved in closer.

Since Tanaka couldn't see where he was going, his first attempt landed somewhere on Sonia's cheek, and his eyes snapped open. After taking a moment to regain his pride, he shifted back and leaned in again, only closing his eyes just as his true first kiss began.

For Sonia, he certainly wasn't the best kisser in terms of technique; his lips somehow ended up inside her mouth and brushed against her teeth before Tanaka corrected himself, but the significance of the action and the emotion behind it were enough to leave Sonia smiling against his mouth.

For Tanaka, despite his embarrassment, it was the best moment of his life.

...

Alone in his room, Souda's lip trembled as he shut the recorder off.


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note: **This is the first chapter I'm posting apart from the massive 15 first chapters. Maybe I should have split up their publication dates a bit. Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, and favorited so far!

...

"Okay, okay, Ibuki calls this band meeting to order!" Mioda tapped two drumsticks together. "Thank you all for coming! Based on your votes, it looks like we have decided to name our group..." she took a pause for effect and started grumbling something, stomping her feet.

"What?" Hinata asked.

"'Mumble Grumble Crash'! Or MGC, for short. That's the name in writing, but the onomatopoeia is gonna catch on. Ibuki can feel it. It's so fresh, so original!" She hopped up and down, twirling the drumsticks like the ends of a jump rope. "Gah, Ibuki is so excited!"

"What the hell?" Souda said, slouched over in his chair. "I don't remember votin' for that."

"Because So-so-so-Souda was too busy making sprinkle-covered deliciousness! You and everyone but Hajammers voted for that name."

"I thought 'Crushing Entity' sounded cooler, even if it's a bit too heavy metal," Hinata offered.

"Heeey, Ibuki's terminology is rubbing off on Hajim-jam!" Mioda squatted down to drum on her knees. "So, so, now we can-"

A knock sounded on the door. "Come in!" Mioda sang.

Sonia entered with an apologetic smile, and Souda looked away, grimacing. "I apologize for my tardiness. I had trouble finding the room."

Mioda sprang to her feet with a grin. "Ooh, ooh, are you here to join MGC?"

"Oh, you didn't name it 'Crushing Entity'?" Sonia sighed. "I liked that name."

"No, the votes have spoken! Even little lion man liked MGC, which is surprising because Ibuki thought that a more intense name would be right up his alley. CE isn't as cool of an abbreviation, methinks." Mioda gestured to a chair, and Sonia sat. "So, what instrument would the esteemed princess like to play?"

Sonia bowed with a mischievous smile aimed at Mioda. "Well, I have always wanted to play the accordion, but I also know the piano if that is not an option."

Mioda made a buzzing noise. "Sorry, ma'am, pianist is taken! In more ways than one," Mioda said, winking at the swindler. "An accordion, though... mayflowerbe. Maybe if we just had you do a solo or two in each song. What does MGC think?"

Souda cleared his throat. "Hey, is that Kuwata kid still comin'?"

"Well, he said he was going to be here on time, but he's not, so Ibuki started without him." Mioda huffed. "Ibuki does not tolerate tardiness! She does make exceptions for pretty girls, though," she said, grinning at Sonia.

"Is he even allowed in the school? They're usually pretty tight with security," Hinata said.

"Oh," Mioda said. "Oh oh oh oh oh oh OH!" She leaped from the conductor's podium and started sprinting out of the band room. "Ibuki will be right back!"

Sonia giggled as the door slammed. "Well, this should be interesting! What instruments are you all playing?"

"I've got the drums, I guess," Hinata said. "I've never played before, but Mioda keeps telling me that it's easy. Souda's bass, and you already know the pianist." The swindler waved. Sonia waved back.

"I don't know how an accordion would fit in to a traditional light rock band," Sonia said, tapping at her chin. "The sound is a bit... out of place, but I believe that Miss Mioda will find a way to make it work. She is the best at what she does, after all."

Hinata nodded and walked to the front to pick up the drumsticks that Mioda had cast aside. He took a seat at the drum set, looking hesitant. "This is weird." He tapped a cymbal as though it might hit back if he struck too hard. "We're gonna need a lot of practice before we play anywhere. Have you ever played the bass before, Souda?"

Souda snorted, looking at the floor. "No. I don't think I'm any good with music. Mioda mostly picked me because of my hair."

Hinata shrugged, giving the pedal to the bass drum an experimental tap. Mioda burst back into the room. "Little lion man can't come in because the school's security doesn't let people enter without scheduling a visit and they don't let visitors use the student rooms for too long so we need to find a different place to practice!"

Hinata blinked. "Isn't Kuwata coming here in the fall, though? He's technically like a... pre-student, or something."

"Ibuki will have to ask the office for a special exception! Good idea, 'Tatas!" Mioda was out the door before anyone could stop her.

"Was that a nickname or her saying goodbye?" Hinata asked, staring at the door.

"Perhaps both," Sonia said with a laugh.

As Kuwata was a shoo-in to attend Hope's Peak, the main office granted him an extended visitor's pass that allowed him to stay in the school until late in the evening. About an hour after Mioda's initial dash out the door, he entered the band room and looked around, mouth dropping open.

"Damn," he said. "This is nice."

Mioda grinned and picked her guitar up from the floor. "At your stations, everyone!"

Sonia raised her hand. Mioda lowered her voice to say, "Yes, what does the young lady in the front have to ask?"

"Is there an accordion or other suitable instrument in here?" Sonia asked, lowering her arm with a smile.

"Oh, right, oh, right!" Mioda bounced over to the back room, shuffled around for a few moments, and returned with a dusty concertina and a triangle. "There's a xylophone back there, too, if that is what Your Highness wants," Mioda trilled.

Sonia took the concertina with a word of thanks and tried playing a note. Five pairs of hands flew to their ears as a loud, distorted chord sounded. "Well," Sonia said, "it seems a bit out of tune." She picked up the triangle, examined it, and asked, "Could I see the xylophone, please?"

"Of course!" Mioda re-entered the back room and wheeled out something much too large to be a children's toy. "It's actually a marimba, but Ibuki likes saying 'xylophone' better."

Sonia picked up one of the sticks nestled between two wooden keys and hit a note. She hummed in tune with the rich sound. "This will do nicely for now, I think. Maybe an accordion and a piano on the same stage would have been a bit much, anyway."

"Never give up on your dreeeams!" Mioda bellowed in her best imitation of Nidai. "Ibuki can give you lessons on the accordion if there's one around somewhere, but for now," she made the same grumbling and stomping motions as before, "will hold their very first jam session! This day, the 16th of March, will go down in history as the day a new genre was born!" She hopped up on the platform where Hinata was seated and waved the other four up to join.

"So so so, Ibuki thinks we should go for something that encapsulates punk rockers on the beach, drumming on old cans so the baby turtles won't bump into them and singing their young hearts out into the night sky so their words travel to the moon and make the man there smile and sing along, except he'll be too late to really sing with them because the sound was too slow." Mioda strummed her guitar once and hummed in approval.

"That sounds kinda... surreal," Hinata said. "Also, I still don't know how to play this." He tapped the snare drum for emphasis.

"Just mash out whatever you want," Mioda responded. "The drum needs to provide a steady beat and maybe have a really cool solo, so just find something you like and stick with it until you can go crash boom bang at a lull in the song." Mioda snapped her fingers. "Crash Boom Bang would have been a good band name! Or Mumble Grumble Crash Boom Bang. Ibuki has regrets now."

"That's kind of an overwhelming title," Souda said, trying to figure out how to hold the bass. "And I'm with Hinata. I don't think I've even touched a musical instrument before."

"Oh, Souda is such a virgin! Such a white maiden pure!" Mioda skipped across the stage to adjust Souda's fingers on the strings. "Kazoo will probably need private lessons-" she nudged him in the side, "-from Ibuki later, but he'll have to do the best he can!"

Souda, overwhelmed by at least three things, didn't protest. Mioda laughed and stepped beside Kuwata to the second microphone. "Alright, here we go! Play us in, Jim-Jam."

Hinata sputtered for a second, tapped the drumsticks together a few times, and started hitting the bass drum and cymbal in alternation. Souda played the same note over and over while a simple piano melody tinkled in the background, and a combination of four notes sounded from the marimba as Mioda started playing a more complicated guitar intro.

Kuwata started spouting nonsense words at the microphone after a few seconds, and, by the end of the song, he and Mioda harmonized into some sort of primal scream. Souda was glad that the room was soundproof so MGC's first improvised song didn't deafen the entire first floor of the school.

Hinata ended the four uncoordinated minutes with a very uncoordinated drum solo, and Mioda cheered as the last cymbal crashes faded. "We did it! What should we call that one?"

Souda had a lot of answers to that question, none of which Mioda would appreciate, but the swindler saved him by saying, "I think we need a little more work before we can call that the finished product."

Hinata nodded. "Yeah, I'm still not really sure what I'm doing."

"You did awesome, Hajammers!" Mioda beatboxed something into the microphone and said, "Ibuki liked it! Maybe Kazoo's bass skills need some Ibuki-related assistance, but this was almost what she had in mind when she was talking about punk rockers on the beach, drumming on old cans so the baby turtles won't bump into them and singing their young hearts out-"

"Okay, yeah, but can I get lessons or somethin'?" Souda asked, plucking at one of the bass strings. "I'm awful."

"Kazoo is not awful!" Mioda stomped her foot. "He is a developing musician, like everyone else is. There is no such thing as a fully developed musician. Ibuki will just help him develop more."

Sonia set her sticks onto the marimba and said, "I think we all have potential. Shall we try another song? Perhaps one that we all know?"

By the close of an hour, the sextet had played dozens of songs, a few decibels of hearing seemed lost, and callouses formed on most fingers. Souda grimaced at his aching thumb and said, "Can we call it a day? I still have a few things I need to work on tonight." The others nodded in agreement.

Mioda blew a raspberry. "Okay, okay, fine, but MGC needs to practice at least a five times a week! Maybe five times a day, even."

Hinata stood from the drum set and stretched. "That was fun, actually. Are we meeting tomorrow?"

Mioda nodded. "Same MGC time, same MGC place!" She turned to Kuwata. "If Kuwatatas can't come every day, Ibuki understands, but he should practice at home as much as possible."

Kuwata set the microphone onto its stand and said, "This is way better than baseball practice. I'll be here whenever you guys are, unless I have a game or somethin'."

"Radical!" Mioda saluted. "You are all dismissed! Kazoo, see Ibuki after class."

Souda sighed and walked across the stage, rolling his eyes at a wink from Kuwata. "Yeah?" he asked Mioda's back. She twirled to face him.

"Ibuki was serious about those bass lessons," she said, "and Souda knows how rare that is for Ibuki! He should be honored." She crossed her arms with a grin.

"How much time would they take up? Normal practice already cuts into my time in the shop, and I have a few projects goin' on right now, so..." Souda went to bite at a fingernail, but Mioda slapped his hand down. "Hey!"

"Long nails will help Kazoo play better! Some musicians use picks, but Ibuki thinks that you can get closest to the music with just your fingers." She wiggled her digits and said, "The lessons might take an hour a few times a week, methinks? Ibuki and Souda can meet in here, and Ibuki will teach all the basics, and Kazoo will be a more developed musician!"

Souda nodded. "Yeah, I guess an hour's fine. That all?"

Mioda pouted. "What, Kazoo doesn't want to have a nice one-on-one conversation with Ibuki? Fine!"

"No, that's not what I-"

"No, no, say no more!" Mioda pointed to the door. "Be here tomorrow right after class for the first lesson. Maybe Ibuki will throw a headbanging contest in there if Souda is on his best behavior."

"Um, okay." Souda started heading for the door. "See you later, then."

"Buh-bye!"

Souda closed the band room doors with a sigh and began the walk to his shop. Between the band, lessons, homework, and his projects, he knew he wouldn't have any time to breathe until final exams were over.

That was fine. Anything to get his mind off Sonia and Tanaka.

...

Over the next few weeks, Souda's routine developed new facets of complexity. On weekdays, he woke up early to exercise with Nidai and the others, went to class, crammed in some homework from the night before at lunch, finished the second half of classes, went to a lesson or band practice, worked on something in the shop, and went to sleep.

This routine morphed into something impossible to maintain once Mioda started planning actual shows for the band.

"Mioda, I just don't have time right now, okay? Maybe if it was one show, it'd be fine, but regular gigs are just too much."

"Nonsense!" Mioda blew the kazoo strung around her neck. She found it in the back of the storage room one day and had taken to using it and her preferred nickname for Souda interchangeably. "Think of all the cuties you'll meet, all the money you'll make, and, most importantly, all the extra time you'll get to spend with Ibuki!"

"I couldn't turn that offer down," Kuwata said with a lazy stretch.

"Neither could I," the swindler said, giving Kuwata a confused side glance.

Sonia cleared her throat to diffuse the slight tension and said, "Well, we do need the whole band together to play. If Mister Souda cannot find the time for shows, then we will simply have to wait until he is free."

Hinata circled a drumstick around the top of a cymbal as he asked, "When do you think you'll be freed up, then, Souda?"

The group worked together to make a calendar of available dates for the next few months, but Souda wasn't feeling up to it. He could have made more free time if it was really necessary, but he wasn't expecting the band to be such a big commitment with so little romantic payoff, and he certainly hadn't expected Sonia to join. She had been trying to maintain polite relations with him since White Day, but he tried to avoid her at all costs as he tried to work out his feelings toward her.

He tried to avoid his usual glances at her, but the habit that had persisted for half a year was difficult to stop all at once. She sometimes caught his eye and tried to offer a smile, probably to show that she held no resentment, but he would look away in response. Souda became more and more reluctant to attend practices, but Mioda would chew him out if she saw a frown on his face. Quitting the band altogether wouldn't be easy, and he was sure that he would feel guilty for months afterward; even if he was a mediocre bass player at best, Mioda and the others seemed to enjoy spending time with him.

Besides the tension with Sonia and Tanaka, it was nice. He had never felt like a valuable part of a group before, choosing to isolate himself with machines instead of joining school activities, but between the group that met in the gym in the mornings and the band that met every afternoon, he was becoming more comfortable around others and feeling a bit better about himself.

That was why, as the band's first show approached, Souda decided to throw himself into his bass lessons to avoid thinking about Sonia or Tanaka or the conflict he still hadn't quite resolved with either.

Maybe he'd meet someone at a show that could help him forget, but, if not, avoiding actual resolutions to conflict was something he did well, anyway.

...

The night before MGC's first show, the swindler approached Mioda after a particularly intense band practice. Just before he left, Hinata had said that his head and neck might not recover before the next day, but the imposter had not participated in the headbanging.

"Mioda, may I speak to you for a moment?" they said, approaching Mioda at the microphone.

She smiled and said, "Ooh, that sounds serious! You know that kind of question makes Ibuki nervous, but she'll tolerate it from AC-DC."

Mioda had taken to that nickname as soon as she learned its dictionary definition. The swindler wasn't sure how they felt about it. It was better than Porkfeet, they thought.

"I do want to discuss something a bit serious with you," they said. Mioda's smile fell, and she nodded. "I have always noticed your friendly disposition, and it has always been one of your most positive traits, in my opinion, but lately I have noticed its progression into something that borders flirtation." They paused and shifted. "Are you happy with our relationship, Mioda?"

Mioda gasped. "Of course, of course!" She flung her arms around the swindler's middle and said, "Ibuki is so sorry. She had no idea that she was making you feel like that. She'll stop right away-"

"No, I don't think you need to stop," the swindler said, patting Mioda's head. "I would just like to know why this behavior has surfaced. Are you attracted to more than one person?"

"Ibuki loves everyone," Mioda said with the utmost sincerity, and the swindler almost smiled at how simple and pure she made the matter sound. "She'll give and take love from wherever she can get it, but if she ever makes AC-DC feel bad because of that, she'll stop," she repeated.

The swindler tapped their foot. "I suppose I could be open to the idea of a relationship with more than one person if you would explain why it appeals to you. I have no strong feelings either way, but I wanted to get your view of it. Kuwata, for example, has displayed some interest that you haven't exactly been discouraging."

Mioda hopped from foot to foot, tongue sticking from her mouth as she thought. "Oh, oh, it's like when you discover an awesome new song, right? And you wanna just listen to it over and over and it's playing on repeat in your head all day and there's no way you can hear enough of it! But then after a while, you find another super awesome, newer song that you listen to over and over so the other one sort of drops off your radar for a bit, and maybe the older song feels a little sad about that, but then whenever you listen to that first awesome song that made your heart spike with the bass line and that made you dance through the hallways and in front of your mirror, you still love it, love it!" Mioda grinned from ear to ear and hummed a few notes. "It's like that, yeah," she said, more to herself than the person standing across from her.

Her grin dropped into a rare somber expression, and her eyes stared directly into the swindler's as she said, "But that doesn't mean that Ibuki loves you any less, okay? And if you don't like the way Ibuki acts too friendly with others, then Ibuki can stop."

The swindler shook their head. "No, I don't want you to distance yourself from your - from our friends. I admire the way you can get along with such a diverse group, and how you attract and reciprocate so many different types of affection, and-" They cleared their throat. "Yes, anyway."

Mioda's grin returned. "No, no, Ibuki liked what you were saying!"

The swindler coughed. "Perhaps you should explain the situation to everyone else. I am open to whatever sort of relationship you want to have with others."

Mioda gaped. "Oh, no, AC-DC is right! Ibuki has a lot of explaining to do, yeah..." She clapped her hands once and drummed them on her hips. "Ibuki will write a song, of course! 'Trouble in Polyamorous Paradise,' maybe, or, ooh, 'I Still Like You But How Do You Feel About A Threesome!'" Spurned on by the swindler's snort of laughter, she continued naming as many titles as she could until she exhausted her brain. "But AC-DC is really okay with it, right? Some of it is just Ibuki being Ibuki, like with Sonia; she and Tanaka are so cute that Ibuki wouldn't want to mess that up, but Ibuki does know some people who might like to date her."

"Yes, it's fine," the swindler said. "As long as you are happy."

Mioda hugged her beau again and said, "Ibuki is always happy when she's with you."

...

Opening night. Souda's stomach buzzed with anxiety as he adjusted the fingerless gloves Mioda had "encouraged" everyone wear. She had helped the other five pick out their stage clothes, which resulted in some interesting ensembles. Souda had opted to stick with his usual shades of dull olive and pink, but Hinata surprised everyone by going for a completely different style. Mioda's encouragement that the drummer needed the most colorful outfit was taken seriously, it seemed.

"Dude, the stage lights are gonna reflect off that mess and blind everyone," Souda said to his friend, looking up and down at the shades of green, blue, orange, and black. "Also, blue doesn't look that good on you."

"You're one to talk. That color combination is as hideous as always." Hinata looked at his hands. "Should I get the gloves in green or orange for the next show, then?"

"Grorange!" Mioda screeched, hopping into the conversation. "One on each hand!"

"That'd cost twice as much, though," Hinata said, "and we've probably spent everything just renting this tiny club for an hour."

"But but but look!" Mioda trilled, peeking out at the band onstage. "We can make mad dough off this show - Ibuki made a rhyme - and then we'll be famous and you can buy all the gloves you want! Ibuki'll have you drowning in gloves by the end of the week!"

"Are you sure that's a realistic dream?" the swindler said, fiddling with their cuff links. They were wearing an unfamiliar disguise that Mioda implied was an original design, so to speak.

"Hey, man, I think we could do it," Kuwata said, clomping across the floor in his oversized shoes. Souda had never understood that fashion trend. Not that he understood any fashion trend. "We got a lot of famous people and pretty ladies up here, so it'll probably attract a lot of publicity."

Sonia nodded, and Souda tried not to look at her skin-tight outfit. "Yes, I have a good feeling about all of this." She smiled and looked out to the stage as the other band ended its set. "Is everyone ready?"

A few heads nodded, and Kuwata put his hand in the middle of the circle. "Okay, 'team' on three!" Five gloved hands followed, and six voices cheered together just before MGC was called up to perform. The band was announced onstage, and Mioda cartwheeled to the microphone. Kuwata followed with a split - in leather pants, no less - and Souda's training paid off as he was able to hold a handstand in front of the bass without falling over. The other three took their places, Mioda introduced the band for the first time, and the first performance began.

To everyone's credit, Souda thought, they had all improved over the past month or so, but his fingers started trembling as he plucked the first few notes from his bass. It still seemed a bit fast to be in front of an audience, but that was the pace Mioda moved at, and no one had really objected to performing so soon after the band's formation.

After the first two songs, one a cover and one an original, Souda tried to beat down the butterflies in his stomach and took a brief look at the audience. He noticed a surprising amount of people and looked back to his hands, feeling his nerves resurface. It seemed that Kuwata was right about publicity.

The crowd responded well, in any case; some people seemed thrown off by the band's variety, the switches from lighter pop music to low, throaty rumbles and long guitar solos, but the cheering at the end of the hour put a genuine smile on Souda's face. He saw a few people pointing at his teeth and tried not to flinch.

The band escorted themselves offstage with a few more acrobatics and collapsed into a group hug as soon as they were out of the crowd's sight.

Mioda's eyes gleamed red under her blue eye shadow. "That," she began, "was everything Ibuki has ever wanted from a performance."

On either side of her, Kuwata and the newly-christened AC-DC patted her back. Souda looked around the circle and saw nothing but smiles.

"That," he echoed, "was awesome."

Kuwata nodded with a grin that stretched his lip piercings far apart. "I can't believe I'm in a band. This is great." He looked down and said, "Thanks, guys."

Hinata seemed almost uncomfortable with the sentimentality and said, "Don't we have some fans to meet? We were the last set, right?"

Kuwata perked up. "Oh, yeah! Hot girls!" With a last glance at Mioda, Kuwata darted down the short staircase to the main floor, and Souda followed.

He lost sight of Kuwata but found himself in the middle of a large crowd. The fact that most of it clustered around Kuwata, Mioda, and Sonia didn't surprise him, but people approached him, as well. He strained to hear what each person said.

"Love your teeth-"

"-and the hair, that's awesome-"

"-can I touch-"

"-hey, it's handstand guy!-"

"-my number, call me-"

"-how long have you-"

"-autograph before you-"

Souda smiled and signed something before yelling some excuse and slipping away. One fan at a time was fine, but he had never done well in large groups. He latched onto Hinata as soon as he found him hiding out in a corner.

"Wow," Souda said, trying to ignore the buzzing in his ears. "This is somethin'."

"Yeah, I wasn't expecting this kind of reception." Hinata looked to Mioda and Kuwata reveling in the attention. "I was asked on at least five or six dates before I came over here. Maybe I should get a sign or something."

"You and 'Nami could get couples' rings." Souda sighed. "I've always wanted to do that."

"Yeah, that's a good idea," Hinata said. He patted Souda on the shoulder. "I'm sure you'll find someone to get a ring for. Why aren't you out talking to all the girls?"

Souda took another glance at the crowd and winced. "It's a little crazy over there. Not exactly the best place for a romantic first meeting, y'know?"

"What, are you waiting until someone recognizes you on the street or something?"

Souda tugged the gloves off his sweaty hands. "Something like that, maybe. I don't know. I don't want to think about it right now."

Mioda had spotted the two boys in the corner and waved them over, jumping above the now-dispersing crowd. They walked across the room and saw their classmates gathering around the band members.

"Huh," Hinata said. "I didn't know they were coming." His face broke into a smile as he noticed Nanami some distance from the others. He tossed a "be right back" over his shoulder as he headed for her, and Souda sighed. He averted his eyes from Sonia and Tanaka talking with Nidai and joined Mioda, Kuwata, Saionji, and Koizumi.

"Big Bro Kazoo!" Saionji cheered. Souda groaned, and Mioda blew the kazoo still around her neck. "You looked less awkward and sweaty than usual onstage, but maybe that was because you were farther away."

Koizumi coughed. "The outfits are a bit much, I think, but I don't know what else I was expecting from a band run by Mioda."

Souda shrugged. "I like 'em. Not that different from what I usually wear."

"Yeah, your regular outfit's an eyesore, too," Saionji chirped.

The group managed to stick together long enough for Koizumi to get a picture, and everyone dispersed afterwards. Mioda decided to treat everyone to dinner, but she left out the fact that she had only enough to pay for fast food.

Thus, as Souda noticed the group was heading for a familiar pair of yellow arches, he said, "Hey, shouldn't we be goin' somewhere fancy to celebrate?"

"Maybe when Ibuki makes more mad dough," Mioda replied. "Just be glad someone's buying food for you, Kazoo!" She laughed. "Ibuki made another rhyme."

The swindler sighed. "I'm sure they've seen stranger groups. Mioda, if you don't think you can pay for the amount of food I usually eat, I-"

"Say no more!" Mioda held a hand up. "Ibuki pays for all to thank everyone for giving her the best experience ever, ever." She paused. "Ever."

"Yes, I loved performing," Sonia said, clasping her hands together. "When is our next show?"

"Ibuki's not sure yet. She'll have to look at the calendar." Mioda opened the clear doors to the restaurant and took in a deep inhale. "Aah, smell that grease! The salt! The gum under the tables! The offensive body odor! Ibuki loves it all."

The swindler nodded with a soft smile, and Kuwata hopped over to the line. The group did receive some odd looks from other patrons, but they ignored the widened eyes and downturned mouths as they ordered and headed for a table.

Mioda clinked a french fry to the side of her paper cup and said, "Okay, okay, Ibuki has an announcement! She's going to tell the rest of the class, too, but she wants her band mates to know first."

Souda thought that he saw the large form next to her mouth something, but Mioda continued. "As the whole wide world knows, Ibuki and AC-DC are super close-" they linked arms, "-but Ibuki, despite this hunk a' burnin' love that she has, loves everyone, and she'd like to see more than one person if everyone involved is a-okay with it."

Most of the band said something of encouragement or approval, but Souda remained silent as he thought for a moment. He had been raised to appreciate only traditional values, a man and woman in a monogamous relationship, and that might have been what he wanted for himself, but he didn't want to start anything with Mioda over it. It had been a good night, and there was no need for him to ruin it. He nodded to show his support and continued eating.

"I don't think the others will be that surprised," Hinata said. "You _are_ pretty, um, friendly."

Mioda laughed in agreement and raised her milkshake. "Then Ibuki will make a toast for the band she formed with her friends and for her, um, friendliness! She might just explode from all this friendship."

Six paper cups clacked together under fluorescent lighting.

"So, hey," Kuwata said, thumbing at his straw, "did we make any money from that show?"

Mioda laughed again. "No, no, MGC _paid_ to perform that show! It was free to go to!" At a few sour expressions, she said, "Hey, Ibuki knows that everyone has their reasons for joining, but the thrill of being onstage is better than the money." She sang the last word three times, bobbing her head. "Ibuki knows you all think the same. She saw your faces." She kicked Souda's shin under the table and grinned. "You can't lie to Ibuki!"

Souda shifted. "Well, yeah, it was pretty cool. We'll get paid once we get more shows and fans and stuff, right?"

Mioda started to nod but broke into a gasp. "Oh! Oh! MGC needs band merch! Posters and shirts and those vintage-tacky snap bracelets and CDs and keychains and kazoos that mumble, grumble, crash when you blow into them and-"

The group launched into a discussion about graphic design, and Souda grinned. Despite the pit in his stomach that sloshed bile and nerves each time he looked at Sonia, he thought he would be okay for a while.


	17. Chapter 17

The day after the show, Souda awoke to a knocking at his door that rattled his teeth. He nearly fell out of bed to answer it before he remembered that it was Sunday and that he, therefore, had no obligations to do anything with anyone. He answered the door anyway because Tanaka started to whine.

Souda flinched at the harsh lighting in the hallway that outlined a tall, wide silhouette. "What'daya want, Nidai?" he slurred.

"We have been-" Nidai bellowed, stopping himself when he realized that it was, in fact, very early. "We have been waiting for you in the gym, Souda," he continued in a lower tone. "Are you feeling well?"

"Um, I'm kinda fuckin' tired," Souda said, rubbing his eyes. "Had a late night. You were at the concert too, right?"

"Yes, but I retired at a reasonable hour so I could be up at the regular time today," Nidai said. "I would have advised you to do the same, but I thought you had established your own schedule by now."

"I made an exception." Souda yawned. "I think I went to sleep at, uh... 2:00, maybe?"

Nidai nodded. "You need your sleep, then. Just keep your schedule in mind in the future."

"M'kay." Souda shut the door in Nidai's face and plunged back under the covers.

By the time Souda willingly got out of bed, his clock read 12:53. He went to the cafeteria for lunch and wondered how he would get his sleeping schedule back on track by the next day, but he had never needed much sleep, anyway.

That didn't mean that he didn't spend hours in bed when he got the chance, though.

A few minutes later, holding a tray with enough food to make up for his skipped breakfast, Souda glanced around the cafeteria and spotted Hinata, Nanami, Mioda, Tsumiki, and Komaeda sitting together. He focused on keeping his tray in some sort of precarious balance as he walked to the table.

"Mornin', guys," Souda said, sitting next to Hinata and rubbing at one eye.

Hinata sighed. "Normally I'd object to your idea of what morning is, but I just woke up an hour ago, so I can't really say anything."

To Hinata's left, Nanami snored lightly. Hinata stifled a snort. "She'd be like this even if we all weren't out late yesterday."

Tsumiki giggled. "I wish I could have gone, but the office was v-very busy last night." She chewed at the skin of her lip. "S-sorry."

"Don't worry about it," Hinata said. "We'll probably have another show soon, if you can come to that one."

Mioda nodded and cheered some sort of assent, which startled the sleepiness out of most everyone.

Nanami groaned as she burrowed into Hinata's shoulder. "Morning, Souda," she mumbled.

"Yeah, same t'you," Souda said, grinning at Mioda.

"Perhaps I picked a bad place to sit," Komaeda said to Mioda's right. He gestured to his ringing ears and smiled. "But I guess I'm lucky that you all let me sit here in the first place."

"I hope that pun wasn't intentional," Hinata muttered, looking to Nanami as the screen of her GameBoy flashed to life.

"Hey, when is our next show, anyway? Do we have a schedule planned out?" Souda asked.

"Ibuki is working on it! Sunshine is using her super diplomacy powers to talk with a bunch of different clubs and wiggle into open time slots." Mioda used three straws at once to blow three times the bubbles in her iced tea. "MGC just needs to keep practicing! Ibuki's thinking maybe some synchronized gymnastics before slash during slash after the show. Thoughts?"

Souda snorted. "I can barely hold a handstand."

Mioda squirted iced tea at Souda with her straw. "Ibuki hears a quitter!"

"Hey!" Souda wiped the droplets from his cheek. "I wasn't sayin' we can't, I'm just sayin' it's gonna take a lot of work."

"Well, MGC'd better get to work, then!" Mioda set the straws on the table, downed the rest of her drink, and slammed the glass on the table. Souda tried not to flinch, but Hinata's snickers told him that he failed. "MGC needs to work on lots of things. Ibuki hereby calls a meeting tomorrow right after classes!" She put all three straws between her teeth and nodded.

"Don't we usually meet on Mondays, anyway?" Hinata asked from his position on Nanami's shoulder.

"Ibuki is calling a double meeting," Mioda slurred, air whistling through the straws as she spoke. "Rest up today, because MGC's going hardcore tomorrow!" One straw fell from the side of her mouth, but she caught it and twirled it like a baton.

Souda poked at his food and said, "Yeah, awesome." He turned to his left. "Hey, Hinata, can we go for a walk tonight? I wanna go to the shoreline."

Hinata looked away from Nanami's game. "I guess, yeah. Why?"

Souda shrugged. "I just feel like getting out. The weather's gettin' nicer."

"Ooh, the soul friends ship is heating up!" Mioda trilled. "The moon shines on two band geeks on a romantic evening walk, who keep bumping hands by quote unquote accident-"

"Cut it out," Souda groaned. "You're startin' to sound like Hanamura."

Komaeda and Tsumiki giggled. Souda was disturbed to note that they sounded equally cute.

That evening, Hinata and Souda made their way through the city to the shoreline, chatting about the band and anything else that came to mind. They arrived at the water as the sky turned golden orange and walked along the beach in silence, admiring the view.

As the sun's color deepened to red, Souda sighed and looked to the waves undulating on shore. "So vacation's comin' up in a few months. What do y'think you're gonna do?"

Hinata shrugged, following Souda's line of vision. "I'll probably go back home for the month. I'm gonna miss all you guys, but I haven't seen my family in a while. Mioda might not like breaking up the band, but I don't live very far; maybe I could still practice." He kicked up a cloud of sand and watched the wind whisk it out to sea. "What about you?"

"Well, um..." He coughed. "Haven't really thought about it. I don't really want to go home and deal with my dad. If Mioda's around, I guess I can just stick with her and the others."

"What if she's not?"

Souda swallowed. "I could always stay in the dorm over the summer. It might be kinda lonely, but maybe someone else from our class will be around."

"What's up with your dad, anyway?" Hinata asked. "You mentioned a while ago that he treats you pretty badly. Is it something you can report to the police?"

"No, it's not worth the trouble." Souda paused. "He's just an asshole. I'd just be alone with him all day in the shop. Might get kinda awkward." He frowned. "That was how it was before I came to school here, anyway, but I could distract myself with all the stuff in the shop. Now that I have people that I wanna hang out with, I don't think a month by myself would be as, uh..."

"Tolerable?" Hinata finished.

"Yeah, sure." Souda avoided Hinata's gaze by staring at the water, and he lowered his voice. "I know I can be kind of a pain in the ass sometimes, but thanks for stickin' around."

Hinata smiled. "Yeah, no problem."

Souda looked up to return the smile, but a short scan of the beach ahead revealed two distant figures sitting on a bench. He squinted, cursing the sand in his contacts, and thought that he recognized the way the setting sun shone platinum on a head of long hair.

"Shit," he muttered.

"What?" Hinata looked forward. "Is that Sonia?"

"Shit," Souda repeated. "Uh, can we turn around or somethin'?"

"Is she with Tanaka?" Hinata turned on Souda. "You did take the microphones out, right?"

"Yeah, I did! I didn't plan this, I swear, I don't even wanna talk to 'em..." He trailed off as Tanaka leaned towards Sonia, who turned her face away from view. Souda scowled. "We gotta get outta here before they see us."

Hinata sighed. "You're not really good with conflict, huh," he said, making more of an observation than a question. "What, are you just gonna-"

Souda squeaked as Sonia started turning around. "C'mon!" He grabbed Hinata's arm and ran to a line of trees by the street.

"Souda, this is ridiculous," Hinata said, wrenching his arm away. "I mean, yeah, we shouldn't interrupt them on their date, but you also shouldn't spend the next two years avoiding both of them. You're gonna have to talk to them sometime."

"Yeah, yeah, just... not now," Souda said. He peeked out from behind the tree and started walking up the street.

"Okay, so why are you going _toward _them?" Hinata asked.

"I just wanna see what they're doin'," Souda muttered.

Hinata remembered that saying about old habits dying hard, but it seemed useless to make a comment about it. "No, c'mon, I thought you were getting better about this whole-" he grasped at words for a moment, "situation. Let's just head back."

Souda kept walking.

Hinata clenched his teeth, looked behind him, looked to either side, and started following with a growl.

The two came to a stop at a tree a few meters from the bench, and Hinata grabbed Souda's arm. "What is this going to accomplish?" he hissed.

"I'unno," Souda grumbled, peeking at the couple. "I still can't believe they're together, maybe. I guess."

"Well, there they are. They've been together for, what, half a year? A little less?"

"Since January," Souda said. "S'been almost four months."

"Um, yeah." Hinata tried tugging Souda away. "A while, anyway. Can we just go?"

Souda didn't respond. Hinata tugged harder, causing his friend to lose his balance and fall back with a yelp. Hinata caught Souda and both boys froze, straining to hear Sonia and Tanaka's reaction.

"...something over there?"

"...sounded almost avian in nature..."

"...could be wounded... go check?"

A grunt. The bench creaking as two weights shifted.

"Shit," Souda said. He tried to break away, but Hinata's grip kept him in place. "What are you doin'? They're gonna see us," he hissed.

"They're gonna see us if we run, too, and that's going to look really suspicious," Hinata replied.

"And cuddlin' behind a tree doesn't?" Souda's eyes started to fog up. "C'mon, lemme go-"

"Mister Hinata, Mister Souda, what are you doing over here?"

Souda flinched and buried his face in Hinata's chest.

"Um." Hinata patted Souda's back. "There, there." He looked to Sonia and Tanaka, who stood with almost identical bemused expressions. "We're just. Talking."

"Is he injured?" Sonia asked.

"No, he just fell," Hinata said. He sighed. "Souda, please get off me."

Souda didn't lift his head, but he started to shake.

Hinata dropped his arms. "Come on, you're fine. Don't you have something to say to-"

Freed from his bonds, Souda darted back, looped around the tree, and started running down the beach in the direction he and Hinata came from.

Hinata balled his fists in his hair and leaned against the tree. "I am so sorry."

...

Souda lay in a ball under his covers, hoping that Tanaka wouldn't come in to the dorm room and wondering if he could make a run for the workshop. He could just sleep there that night. And every night until the next vacation. And avoid Tanaka for the next two years.

Hinata was right and this was ridiculous, but Souda didn't want to deal with the whole situation. It was stressful and overwhelming and made his inferiority complex swell like an infection, but drawing the conflict out only made it worse. He didn't know what to do.

He shut his eyes, tried to think of a solution, tried to think of anything but Sonia and Tanaka, and fell asleep.

The door creaked open some time later and startled Souda awake. He curled into an even tighter ball and tried to steady his breathing, but it seemed to shake more as time passed. Souda listened to Tanaka putting his hamsters away for the night until the air rushing in and out of his lungs drowned out any other noise.

"I know you're awake, mortal."

Souda rolled to face the door and waited for death.

He tensed and tried to muffle his sobs as a weight settled on the side of his bed, listening for the sound of a knife sliding from its sheath or the roar of a lion or a low voice muttering a spell-

"It's okay, it's okay, everything's okay... you're all right, it's all right."

Souda's fingers dug into his arms. He recognized the chant from the times Tanaka had comforted his hamsters after a fight, and he would have been insulted were he not so relieved.

The words continued until Souda's breathing settled and his arms relaxed from their self-hug.

"Have you calmed your demons?" Tanaka asked.

Souda drew the covers from his head and nodded. He sniffed and sat up, facing forward, looking at his feet.

"Hinata informed me as to your true purpose in gathering behind the ancient earth spirit," Tanaka began. "He recommended that we speak frankly with each other about the matter that has cast its shadow over our souls for so long."

"Sonia," Souda said to his feet.

Tanaka grunted. "Rather, the conflict surrounding her that has its origins in you and I." He paused, also looking at Souda's feet. "I have understood that you have had an infatuation of sorts with her for many moons, yet neither you nor I have directly addressed the matter. This has caused a prolonged tension that will only exacerbate as both sides continue to avoid that very tension. Am I correct?"

Souda nodded.

Tanaka nodded back. Both sets of eyes were still focused on Souda's feet. "Then we obviously must address this."

Souda let the air hiss through his clenched teeth. "It doesn't make any sense that she would go for you an' not me. I thought that you were usin' some kinda spell or somethin' to make her like you."

Tanaka's head snapped up. "I would never stoop to a level so low. Miss Sonia does not deserve that sort of blatant disrespect for her own desires and emotions."

"Was that some sorta jab at me?" Souda turned his head to glare at his roommate.

"No, you simply do not seem to _understand _her true desires or, in fact, anything about Miss Sonia." Tanaka met Souda's gaze with a glare of his own. "What are your motives behind pursuing her affection?"

"What, do I need to have some sort of big, important reason to want a girlfriend?" Souda snorted.

Tanaka opened his mouth, but his words turned to a sigh. He looked back at Souda's feet. "As I said, we are only exacerbating the conflict. Perhaps I should try a different line of inquiry." He fiddled with the corner of his scarf and thought for a moment. "Is there anything that I can-" He tsk'ed. "We should form a plan of approach to best loosen the bonds of resentment and ill will. What do you propose?"

Souda almost said something about Tanaka and Sonia breaking up, but he reconsidered. "Honestly, Hinata's been on my case about this for so long that he's startin' to convince me that this is basically just my problem. If you really aren't cursin' Sonia or anything-"

"I am not."

"-then I guess I should get over her and get myself a girlfriend," Souda finished. "I don't really have anyone in mind. I was focused on Sonia for so long that it'd take a while to move on."

Tanaka nodded. "I will admit that my lexicon of knowledge does not provide extensive coverage on this topic. Hinata is usually a helpful source on these sort of earthly matters."

Souda grunted in agreement. "Uh, anyway. Are we okay? I mean, I was kind of an ass to you for a while just 'cause you were with Sonia, but I've kinda given up on that whole thing. I told her how I felt and she shot me down, so it wasn't goin' anywhere, anyway." He sighed. "I don't know why I hid behind the tree. It was stupid."

"All is forgiven," Tanaka said. "You did not exactly receive a warm welcome on my part when you first arrived here, which must have planted the seeds of resentment that would later bloom so violently."

"Oh, yeah! Almost forget about that first day." Souda frowned. "Why did you do that, anyway? Somethin' wrong with me?"

"On the contrary, I should have utilized the art of introspection to understand the true intentions behind my actions." Tanaka paused. "It had nothing to do with you. I simply did not wish to share an abode."

"A'right." Souda rubbed his eyes. "Not sure whether I totally believe that or not, but I'm beat. We done here?"

"I believe so," Tanaka said. He stood up. "Good night."

"Yeah," Souda grunted. He buried himself back under the covers, but, having slept earlier, he lay awake for some time.

...

Just before lunch break the next day, Hinata pulled Souda into the hallway.

"Hey," he muttered, "did you talk to Tanaka yesterday?"

"Yeah, we're good," Souda said.

Hinata raised an eyebrow. "Just like that? After months of hostility?"

"I guess so. I mean, he's still a weird dude, but our main problem was really about Sonia. He kind of seems like less of an ass than he was at the beginning of the year, anyway." He sighed. "It's just a weird situation. I was crushin' on her for so long that now I don't know how _not _to, y'know?"

"Yeah, I know," Hinata said. "I talked to the two of them after you ran away yesterday, and Sonia actually recommended a few things to help you move on."

Souda tapped his foot, listening to the echo in the empty hallway. "Like what?"

"Well, actually, it was more like a few people..." Hinata mused. "Are you really ready to date someone, though?"

Souda shrugged. "I dunno. I guess it's worth a try. I've been pinin' over Sonia for a while, so maybe I should switch gears." He laughed. "Hah, I didn't even mean to make that joke."

Hinata groaned. "Okay, yeah, anyway. What do you think of the other girls in our class?"

"Alright, well..." Souda looked around to ensure the hallway was deserted. "Saionji is a definite no, and Koizumi is by association 'cause those two hang out all the time. Pekoyama is completely terrifying, and I don't wanna get involved with Kuzuryuu again, anyway-"

"Again? I've never seen you two around each other."

Souda flinched. "Not important. Um, who else... there's Mioda. She's pretty cute, but she's also got that whole thing goin' on with her current partner, so would I have to date both of 'em at the same time or somethin'?"

Hinata crossed his arms. "Actually, I didn't think about that. You could probably just talk it out with them; they're pretty open-minded."

"Eh. Too complicated." Souda frowned. "Owari's kinda scary sometimes, but she'd be pretty easy to win over, I guess. I could just give her food and she'd let me touch her-"

"Woah, hey, let's just come back to Owari later," Hinata sputtered. "That just leaves Tsumiki, right?"

Souda nodded. "She's cute, too, but she's kind of..." He shrugged. "She's a piece of work, honestly."

"Souda!" Hinata frowned. "Tsumiki is really nice. She's just had a hard time, but she's been getting better about trusting people."

"A'ight, sure. I just haven't talked to her that much lately, I guess." Souda thought for a moment. "So that's pretty much three options, unless you and Nanami were up for-"

"Please don't finish that sentence."

"Okay, three options," Souda chuckled. "I guess I'd put Mioda last because she's already datin' someone else and because it'd get pretty exhausting bein' around her even more."

Hinata tapped his chin. "I feel like you'd take advantage of either Owari or Tsumiki, just in different ways-"

"Hey!" Souda barked. "Who d'ya think I am? I know the way I acted around Sonia wasn't great, but I wouldn't do that to either of 'em. Owari'd kick my ass, and I always feel guilty around Tsumiki even if I didn't do anything wrong."

Hinata winced. "Sorry. Um, you don't have to decide anything now, obviously, and we don't even know if anyone feels that way about you, so we'll just think on it for a while."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Souda grumbled. "Can we just go eat now? I'm really hungry."

"Yeah, let's go." The boys started towards the cafeteria. The first minute of the walk passed in silence until Hinata said, "Actually, maybe dating someone isn't the best way to get over Sonia. Maybe you should just sort out your priorities and your life in general before you'll be ready for other stuff."

Souda snorted. "Getting a girlfriend has been my highest priority since I was twelve."

"Fair enough." Hinata sighed. "Just thinking out loud, that's all."

"What, do you think I'm not mature enough for a relationship?"

"Yeah, exactly."

"Hey, I can be a gentleman when I want to!" Souda puffed out his chest as he turned the corner. "I'll treat my girl really nice an' take her out to dinner an' buy her stuff an' cuddle for as long as she wants."

Hinata laughed. "I guess the best way to learn something is to just do it. Just come to me if you need advice, okay?"

"Psh, like I'll need that." Souda grinned. "I'm gonna be the best boyfriend ever for whoever I end up with, and we're gonna be ten times cuter than you an' Nanami."

"It's not a competition," Hinata said. He smiled back. "But if it was, I think we would win. Nanami and I make all the little old ladies swoon when we hold hands in public."

"Wow, I'm so impressed." Souda kicked the cafeteria doors open and sauntered to the usual table. He sat across from Tsumiki and Mioda, which earned him an elbow in the side from Hinata.

Souda tried not to roll his eyes. "So, how are you two?"

"Ibuki is F-A-N-tastic!" Mioda twirled an entire bowlful of noodles onto her fork and tried to stuff them all into her mouth.

Souda failed at trying not to roll his eyes. "Uh-huh. What about you, Tsumiki?"

"I-I'm fine. Thank you for asking," she murmured.

Souda grinned across the table at the nurse, and Mioda coughed on her noodles a few seconds later. "Feetsh! Feetsh!" she slurred.

Hinata wrinkled his nose at the half-chewed bits falling from Mioda's mouth. "What?"

Mioda swallowed. "Kazoo is trying to learn the ancient art of footsie, and he's practicing on Ibuki."

Hinata muffled a snicker as Souda went pale. "No, I swear, I was just stretching-"

"Then what was _this_-" Mioda did something under the table that made Souda yelp and cross his legs.

"I did not do that," he hissed.

Mioda wiggled her eyebrows and returned to her lunch. Souda glared at Hinata, who would not stop smiling.

Lunch progressed as normal until Tsumiki flinched a few minutes later. Mioda gasped, allowing a chunk of mushroom to fall from her mouth. "Has Kazoo found a new target for practice?"

Hinata used his position from Nanami's shoulder to peek under the table. Souda's foot was indeed nudging Tsumiki's, and Hinata rolled his eyes. He stood and stretched his neck. "I have to go to the bathroom. Does anyone else have to?" He poked Souda in the back.

Souda yelped. "Hey! What are y-"

"Souda, do you have to use the bathroom?" Hinata asked.

"No, but I might need to get ice for the bruise that you just made," Souda grumbled, rubbing the back of his shoulder.

"Okay, let's go get some."

Souda continued to sulk as the two walked away from the table. "What was that for? You really need to trim your nails; they're too goddamn sharp."

"Why did you think footsie was a good idea?" Hinata asked, pushing open the door to the bathroom. "We're not ten anymore."

"I dunno, it seemed like a subtle, romantic thing to do." Souda rubbed at his back again. "Hey, I was serious, I think this is gonna bruise."

"We'll get ice later. What you need right now is advice." Hinata leaned against the sink and looked at his feet. "Different things work for different people. With Nanami, anything subtle would've gone over her head, so I was just straightforward. Mioda seems pretty intuitive to any romantic advances, but she's really obvious about it when she likes someone. She seems to just think of you in a friendly way." He crossed his arms. "I think you'd need to be straightforward with Tsumiki, too, because she still has some trouble believing that people actually like her."

"Fair enough. What about Owari?"

Hinata's hands twitched. "Honestly, I don't think that's a very good match. You need someone who will be patient with you."

"Hey, I'm not a kid that needs babysittin'," Souda huffed. "I'm a man that needs some lovin'."

Hinata visibly cringed. "Please don't ever say that to anyone."

"Yeah, okay." Souda coughed. "So. Tsumiki, huh?"

"She seems like the best match." Hinata thought for a moment. "Unless you're open to dating guys, in which case-"

"Woah, woah, no!" Souda stuck his tongue out. "Man, where'd ya even get that idea?"

"Considering your reaction just now, you probably don't want to know." Hinata turned to the door. "Anyway, lunch is not the best place for asking someone out. Just try to talk to her after class sometime, I guess." He hesitated. "Actually, she's usually pretty busy in the nurse's office, so if you two were to date, you probably wouldn't be able to spend a lot of time together."

Souda shrugged. "If a cute girl wants to go out with me, I'll wait for as long as I need to until we can see each other."

"Wow, that was almost romantic. You're getting somewhere, Souda." Hinata patted his friend on the shoulder and headed out the door.

"You ain't seen nothin' yet," Souda mumbled to himself. He started toward the exit with a grin.


	18. Chapter 18

For once staying in line with Hinata's advice, Souda allowed the rest of the day to proceed as normal, only approaching Tsumiki after their final class on Monday.

By the time he stepped into the hallway, Souda noticed Tsumiki quickly fading from sight. "Hey, Tsumiki, wait up!" he called, attracting a few stares and a snicker from Saionji. The dancer likely said something derogatory about the two pigs of the class finally getting together, but Souda was too far away to hear by the time she started to speak.

Tsumiki flinched and turned, stumbling slightly over her own feet. "S-Souda! Do you need something?"

Souda stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Nothin' in particular. Just wanted to know if you wanted to hang out."

Tsumiki's lower lip wobbled. "I-I'm very sorry, but I can't today. I'm behind on my hours in the nurse's office."

Souda gaped. "_Behind?_ You've spent half your time in this school with those old crones. How long do they expect ya to work for?"

Tsumiki held her hands in front of her face. "I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to upset you..."

"No, it's not your fault," Souda said. "It's just... don't ya ever get tired or want to do somethin' else?"

"I-I really enjoy what I do," Tsumiki replied, lowering her hands. "It's v-very exhausting work, but it's also very rewarding. If I accumulate a certain number of hours by the end of this year, I may be allowed to work in a real hospital over the summer."

"Oh, gotcha." Souda looked to his feet for a moment. "Um, can you just tell me when you're free, then? I wanted to ask you somethin'."

Tsumiki laced her fingers together and looked down at her own feet. "I-I usually have Sundays off," she murmured.

"Okay, awesome." Souda tapped a finger against his thigh. "So, uh... do you wanna go to a cafe or somewhere like that?"

She smiled and opened her mouth, but a different voice sounded from the end of the hallway.

"Kazoodle!" Mioda yelled. Her footsteps rapidly drew closer, and Souda groaned as he turned around.

"What? I'm tryin' to have a conversation here," he said.

"Well, you'll have to play footsie with Mikan later, because MGC has a super-extra long super-extra important meeting today, remember?" Mioda grabbed Souda's ear and started to drag him to the band room, but he slapped her hand away.

"Can you just give me one second?" he demanded, rubbing at his earlobe. "Damn, you need to trim your nails, too."

Mioda blew a raspberry. "Ibuki will be generous and give you one-plus-nine seconds! Hurry hurry!"

Souda whipped around to look at a bemused Tsumiki. She smiled again and said, "I-I would like that. Where should we meet?"

Souda grinned. "I'll pick you up in front of your dorm at five, if that's a'ight."

She giggled. "Yes, it is."

"Beep, beep!" Mioda buzzed into Souda's ear. He screamed and jumped away. "Flirting time is over! It's band time now!" She grabbed Souda's elbow and started leading him down the hallway. "Bye, Mikan!"

Tsumiki waved at the two retreating figures and turned around, holding her hands to her mouth.

Mioda barreled around the corner, down the art hallway, around another corner, and into the band room doors. Souda nearly crashed into her as she skidded to a stop in front of three amused students.

"Kuwataters isn't here yet?" Mioda whined. She hopped from foot to foot while Souda fought to catch his breath. "Ooh, looks like Nekomaru will have to add more sprints to Kazoo's routine!"

"No," Souda gasped. "Please, no."

Hinata cleared his throat. "Doesn't Kuwata's school end half an hour later than ours?"

Mioda clapped her hands. "That's right, and MGC can't stand to lose that much time! They'll just start without him and he can come in later."

Sonia smiled. "What is it that we must discuss so urgently?"

"Sunshine should know better than anyone," Mioda said. "Doesn't she have something to tell the group?"

"Oh, yes, but I thought that we should wait until every member was here to make the announcement," Sonia said.

"Also a good point!" Mioda nodded.

"Well, now I'm curious," Souda mumbled, crossing his arms.

"Kazoo will just have to wait!" Mioda stood up on a chair and crossed the ankle of one foot over the knee of the other, which left her standing on one leg. "MGC will just discuss the finer points of our merch plans until Tater Tots arrives."

Souda sighed and slumped into the chair next to Hinata. The two boys weren't terribly interested in the topic, so they started whispering to each other as the other three carried on a separate discussion.

"I asked Tsumiki out today," Souda muttered.

Hinata smiled. "That's great! What did she say?"

"Well, I dunno if she actually considers it a date, but she said yes. We're goin' to a cafe on Sunday." Souda shrugged. "I'll ask her out for real then, I guess."

"Sunday?" Hinata paused. "That's the day a new arcade opens a few blocks down. Nanami and I were thinking of inviting the whole class to go together."

"I've never been to one before," Souda said.

"I've heard that this one is going to be really big." Hinata glanced at the rest of the group and continued. "It's supposed to have a bunch of games from a few decades ago, and I think it has laser tag, too."

"What time were you thinkin' of goin'?"

"Probably around 1:00. Maybe you could switch the time to before then?"

Souda shrugged again. "I'll think about it."

Kuwata arrived some time later and was greeted by Mioda's war cry of "Finally!"

He held his hands up. "Hey, I got here as fast as I could. What'd I miss?"

Sonia handed him a piece of paper with various sketches. "We have been working on designs for merchandise while we waited for you." She rested her hands in her lap. "Shall I make the announcement now, Miss Mioda?"

"Please do!" Mioda abandoned her perch on the chair to sit on the floor.

Sonia stood and took a step back to view the whole group. "As Mioda has surely told some of you, I have been working on acquiring another time slot for a performance." She paused and smiled. "As of this morning, we have two shows lined up."

She was interrupted by a bout of cheering. "Yes, it is very exiting!" She laced her fingers together. "One show is two weeks from now on a Thursday, and the other is the Saturday the next week."

Mioda sprung to her feet and enveloped Sonia in a hug. "MGC is very thankful for Sonia's hard work!"

"Yeah, this is awesome," Kuwata said with a grin.

The imposter nodded with a soft smile. "Despite my usual preference for staying under the radar, I did enjoy performing. Excellent work, Sonia."

Sonia bowed with a giggle. "I did the best I could. I am sure even more opportunities will open up as we establish ourselves in this world of rock and roll."

As everyone else discussed the band's future, Souda felt himself getting nervous for the more immediate future with Tsumiki.

...

Hours later, Hinata stretched as he stood from his drum set. Everyone else began packing up, and he took the opportunity to call Sonia over.

"Hey," he began, "did Souda talk to you yet?"

"No," Sonia said. "I have not spoken with him since Saturday."

Hinata sighed. "Well, he talked to Tanaka, anyway, and it seems like they worked things out, so that's half the problem solved."

"I am glad to hear that," Sonia said, twirling a strand of hair around her fingers. "I will have to speak with him soon."

Hinata glanced around to make sure that no one was listening in. "I think he's going to try moving on. He asked Tsumiki out today, actually."

Sonia gasped and put a hand to her mouth. "Did he really? Oh, that is wonderful news!" She smiled. "I think they would make a lovely couple. Miss Tsumiki has matured tremendously since the beginning of this year, and Mister Souda has made progress, as well."

Hinata chuckled. "He's got a little farther to go, but I think they'd be good for each other. If he does anything harmful, I'll definitely step in."

"I am sure that I would do the same." Sonia smiled and turned back to her vibraphone. "I must put this back in storage. We can discuss this further later, if you would like."

Hinata hooked his thumbs in his pockets and shrugged. "We'll see what happens."

...

Six days later, a painful feeling settled in Hinata's stomach as he saw Souda walking through the arcade in tears. He rushed to his friend's side.

"What happened, Souda?" he asked.

Souda sniffed. "She said she'd go out with me."

Hinata grinned. "That's amazing! I'm so happy for you two." He paused. "So why are you crying?"

"I'm just so happy," Souda blubbered.

"That's... good." Hinata patted Souda's shoulder. "Where is she, anyway?"

"She had to use the bathroom or somethin'," Souda said. He wiped at his red eyes. "Should be back soon." He blinked a few times and looked around. "Where's Nanami?"

Hinata chuckled. "I have no idea. I lost her in the first few minutes of coming here, honestly. She probably went to the vintage games first."

"Do they have those zombie shooting games?" Souda asked. "It's a little more manly than playing Whack-A-Mole," he said, picking up a foam hammer to illustrate his point.

"I think I saw a few, yeah." Hinata crossed his arms and looked around. "Everyone's doing their own thing until 3:00, and then we're meeting up in the back to play laser tag."

"Oh, hell yes." Souda's eyes took on a different sort of sheen. "I am gonna _destroy_ Tanaka."

Hinata furrowed his brow. "I thought you two made up."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that I still don't have some pent-up resentment." Souda rolled his shoulders back a few times. "I'll just get rid of it all today and then we'll be good. Probably."

Hinata rolled his eyes. "I wanted to talk to you about that, actually. Have you talked to Sonia lately?"

Souda winced. "Not since last weekend. She keeps tryin' to come up an' talk to me, but I freak out and bolt every time."

"I think you two should talk," Hinata said. "There's still probably some stuff that you need to sort out."

Souda crossed his arms. "Hey, that's not really any of your business. It's fine anyway, right? I got another girl now, so it's all good."

Hinata shook his head. "That kind of logic is exactly the reason you need to talk to Sonia."

Souda huffed. "I'll think about it, man, just quit harassin' me. We came here to have fun, remember?"

"Sure, whatever." Hinata turned back to Whack-A-Mole. "I'm going to keep playing this unmanly game, so excuse me for a sec."

Souda stomped his foot. "But we need to kick zombie ass together! It'll be so cool."

"One sec," Hinata repeated.

As the game started, Souda leaned over the machine. "Hey, can I hit these things by hand?" He tried gripping one mole by its head, and his arm was wrenched downward as the plastic figure retreated into its hole. He screeched and stumbled backwards, rubbing his shoulder.

Hinata smiled and continued bopping the moles. "Little bastards are fast," Souda muttered.

"Yep," Hinata said.

The round ended with a series of beeps, and Hinata stooped down to claim the tickets at the bottom of the machine. "Okay. So, zombies?"

"Hell yeah!" Souda darted through the maze of the arcade and stopped in front of the biggest machine, a few paces short of Sonia and Tanaka. The former stood with her knees bent, back slightly hunched, while the latter stood in a wide stance, posture straight. Both held their plastic guns so tightly that their hands were nearly shaking.

"Minions of Hades, moaning and dripping magma from the earth's core, shall never come even a dragon's breadth within reach of the Tanaka empire!" Tanaka roared, index finger spamming the trigger. He turned slightly paler each time blood made an appearance onscreen.

"I feel just like the zombie hunter Rika," Sonia breathed, shooting with more pointed control.

Souda gasped as Hinata caught up. "I can't believe she watched that movie," he muttered. "It's so... inappropriate."

Hinata chuckled. "She seems like to lower-budget media in general."

"Did you see it?"

"No. Did you?"

"Yeah, no _way_." Souda bit his lip and continued watching the slaughter. With a grin, he noticed that Sonia's score was significantly higher than Tanaka's. "He talks big, but he's not so tough," he said to Hinata.

"You're just figuring that out?" Hinata asked. "Although I wouldn't really measure someone's toughness by how good they are at killing zombies."

Souda looked to Hinata with a frown. "Why not?"

Hinata just shook his head as the couple stepped down from the game. "That was so thrilling!" Sonia exclaimed. "What an adrenaline rush! We must conquer every machine in this building before time runs out." She spotted Souda and Hinata standing behind Tanaka. "Hello! Are you two enjoying yourselves?"

They nodded. "How are you two so far?" Hinata asked.

"The four kings do not seem to thrive in such a noisy environment," Tanaka muttered, trying to cover each hamsters' ears in the folds of his scarf.

"Yes, we may have to return to the dorms before laser tag so they do not become too distressed," Sonia added.

"But they are bloodthirsty today, my lady!" Tanaka realized he was still holding the plastic gun and jammed it into its stand, brushing his hands on his coat afterwards. "They seek vengeance against those who have wronged them."

"Who might those unfortunate souls be?" Sonia asked, setting her own gun down with more control.

"I cannot say." He stroked Cham-P's back. "The mere utterance of their titles is enough to cause an upset. Names have such power over human and beast alike."

Sonia nodded. "Very true." She took Tanaka's hand and waved to Souda and Hinata. "We must keep moving along if we are to play every game before 3:00! I am sure we will see you two shortly."

The boys waved back and stepped up to the game as soon as it was vacated. "Okay," Hinata said, "get ready to get shown up."

"What, you think you're tougher than me?" Souda asked. He looped his index finger through the trigger hole and tried to twirl the gun on his hand, but, as it was connected to a cord, it lurched from his grip and fell to the floor.

Hinata snickered.

"Shut up," Souda muttered, bending to retrieve the gun. He looked around as he stood. "Let's just wait a sec."

"What, you want Tsumiki to see you shooting at pixels on a screen?"

"Well, damn, if you're gonna be that sarcastic about it, let's go already," Souda huffed. He inserted his coins and stood in a ready position.

The dual screens displayed a dark, still warehouse. Souda huffed. "Of course somethin's gonna jump out-"

A pack of zombies burst through the crates near the door, and Souda screamed. He started spamming the trigger as Hinata snickered.

A few minutes later, Hinata said, "You know, if it was possible, I think you would've ended up with a negative score."

Souda tried to the gun into its holster, fumbled, and stooped to pick it up. "It was a stupid game anyway," he mumbled. "Let's play somethin' better."

"DDR?"

Souda grinned. "You're on."

Owari and Nidai were occupying the machine when the boys arrived, and a crowd had already formed. A nonstop series of synchronized bangs and grunts sounded as arrows flew past the screen at near incomprehensible speeds.

"You must become one with the music! Feel the beeeat!"

"You're distractin' me, old fart! Shut it!"

Hinata squinted. "Yeah, they're gonna be here for a while. Let's just try something else."

After sampling various arcade games, Hinata found that he still liked Whack-A-Mole the best, and Souda excelled at Fix-It Felix. Tsumiki had to be taught the basics of Frogger by Nanami and teared up every time the frog was run over by a car. Hanamura gave an insightful if critical review of Cooking Mama, and Kuzuryuu claimed that arcades were for children until Nanami showed him the original Space Invaders. Most everyone else tried to play a variety of games, but Mioda and Saionji played Street Fighter nonstop for the whole two hours until they were dragged away for laser tag.

"Beating up big sweaty men is just so much fun!" Saionji whined.

Koizumi held the dancer's hand and led her to the laser tag arena. "Well, now you can shoot them in real life. That's twice the fun, right?"

Saionji beamed. "You're right, Big Sis!"

"I'm scared," Souda whispered to Hinata.

Hinata shivered. "Me too."

"Ha!" Tanaka barked. "Your fears are misplaced, foolish ones. You have failed to notice the threat looming under your very noses."

"Your big mouth?" Souda muttered.

Tanaka bristled. "Watch your words, for there will come a time when regret will flex its cold fingers in preparation to strike you with its dark talons. That is when you will come to learn the true meaning of fear."

Souda coughed. "Dude, it's just laser tag. Chill."

"I am very excited to play this," Sonia chirped, swinging her and Tanaka's intertwined hands in tandem. "Most children receive some form of military training in Novoselic, so the competitive do-or-die environment may be pleasantly nostalgic."

Before anyone could come up with a response to that, they were shown through the heavy double doors in the back and led into a small room. Supply packs of guns and vests glowed along either long wall.

The attendant cleared his throat. "Okay, everyone please pick up a pack and type in your code name on the gun's display."

Souda strapped on the gear and flexed. "What'cha think?" he asked Tsumiki.

"I-it's very... bulky," she said, picking up a vest of her own.

Souda deflated. "S'not what I meant..."

The group was quiet long enough to receive basic instructions but exploded into sound as soon as the door to the arena opened.

"Every man for himseeelf!" Nidai bellowed, charging into the dark room with his gun drawn.

"I'm going to die today," Hinata said.

"Nah, c'mon, it'll be fun!" Souda slapped the glowing green square on Hinata's back and rushed after Nidai.

Tsumiki whimpered to Hinata's left. "Some boyfriend he is, huh," Hinata muttered.

"Guys, you're blocking the door!" Koizumi yelled. Saionji shot at Hinata, and the green light on his equipment turned red.

Hinata rolled his eyes and started walking forward. "Come on, Tsumiki, it's just a game. You can just find a good spot to hide in if running around is too stressful."

"Move it, pig bitch!" Saionji's gun fired with another cartoonish sound effect, and Tsumiki was bathed in a red glow by the time she stumbled into the arena.

"Let's go find Souda, okay?" Hinata said, helping Tsumiki regain her balance. "The three of us should stick together."

"W-what about Nanami?" Tsumiki asked.

"She's a team by herself."

...

Nanami was already perched at the top level of the arena, ready to snipe at anyone unlucky enough to pass by a floor down. She kept her back to the wall and checked the area around her periodically, eyes open for the flash of green that signaled enemy approach. Two luminescent squares started to approach from her left, and she swung her gun around.

"Don't shoot," Kuzuryuu said. "We're here to form an alliance."

Nanami kept her weapon poised. "I don't need your help."

"But just think about it," the gangster said, holding his gun at his hip. "Think of all the times Souda's gotten on your nerves or one of the girls made eyes at Hinata. We can triple-team 'em and they'll never cross you again."

"I don't need your help," Nanami repeated. "I will give you three seconds to leave."

"Fine," Kuzuryuu spat. "We won't play nice-"

As three seconds had passed, Nanami shot Kuzuryuu in the chest. He gasped, and Pekoyama took a shot at Nanami in return. The gamer, anticipating this, had already dropped to the floor and shot at Pekoyama from a crouching position. A descending series of beeps told that her aim was true.

Pekoyama's arms fell limp at her sides. "I have failed."

"We'll get you for this," Kuzuryuu growled. "C'mon, Peko."

The two red squares retreated, and Nanami turned back to her work.

...

"Souda!" Hinata hissed. The crouching figure yelped and twisted around, opening fire into Hinata's chest.

Hinata sighed as his pack beeped again. "That's the fourth time I've died. Listen, we want to form an alliance."

"Oh, man, I'm sorry, Tsumiki!" Souda stood, throwing a quick glance around the wall. "I got so caught up in the moment that I forgot we should've stuck together."

"I think you should shoot him," Hinata whispered to the nurse.

"W-what?" she stammered. "I could never do that!"

"Hey, I heard that." Souda frowned. "Why don't you just go off with your own girlfriend, Hinata? Me'n Tsumiki got this."

Hinata's light flicked back to green. "Nanami disappeared and would probably shoot at me if I tried going near her. That's if I could even find her in the first place."

"Who the hell keeps grabbin' my ass?" someone screamed from across the arena. Another set of screams that sounded suspiciously like Hanamura's could be heard shortly afterward.

The man himself barreled around the corner a minute later and crashed into Souda. The mechanic, already in a crouching position, lost his balance and toppled to the floor

"Oh, my," Hanamura chuckled. "What an unfortunate turn of events."

Tsumiki screeched in surprise and shot at Hanamura's back light. She somehow ended up shooting both the cook and the person under him and began apologizing through her sniffles.

"Hey, Tsumiki, it's okay - holy shit, get _off_ me-" Souda shoved Hanamura to the side and stood. "That was awesome! You stood up for me."

"I-I didn't mean to sh-shoot you," she whimpered, wiping at her eyes.

"No, it's fine! We'll just shoot Hanamura again to make up for it." The second Hanamura's light turned green, Souda shot at his chest again.

"Hey!"

"See? All good." Souda looked around the corner again and was met with a faceful of Kuzuryuu.

"Get the hell outta my way!" he bellowed. "I'm gonna kill him!"

Pekoyama quietly followed, gun drawn. Souda thought that he saw death reflected in her green-lit eyes.

Souda turned to Hinata and Tsumiki. "Let's just get outta here," he said. The trio started running across the arena, with Tsumiki periodically stepping on the backs of Souda's shoes and apologizing just as often. As they reached the open space in the middle of the room, all three of their lights turned to red in quick succession.

Souda looked down. "What the fuck?"

"Nanami," Hinata breathed. He looked upwards but saw not even a flash of green light. "It's not safe here," he said. "Let's get to-"

Another screech sounded, and Hanamura again ran from the direction it came from. Koizumi and Saionji followed moments later, and Souda never knew that such a short person in sandals could sprint that fast or hold a laser gun that intimidatingly. All three of their lights also turned red, but this change went unnoticed in the heat of the chase.

"We're running out of time before we respawn," Hinata said. "C'mon!" He started to the left, and the other two followed. The group ran into Owari in pursuit of Nidai; the gymnast was screaming as she fired her gun nonstop, but Nidai was too fast and his movements too irregular for her to land a shot.

"I'll get you, old man!"

"You must use emotions to your advantage or rid yourself of them altogether! Do not let them cloud your view!"

Their voices faded, and the trio continued.

...

"The Tanaka Empire will be victorious!" Tanaka bellowed, charging through the dimly lit hallways.

Sonia sprinted in front of him, head darting constantly from side to side in search of a target. "We must find Nanami!" she said. "She has taken down too many of our friends."

"There are no friends in war!" Tanaka halted as Sonia did, and she held a finger to her lips.

"Do you hear that?" she whispered.

Tanaka listened and could detect, besides Hanamura's ongoing screams, a nearby set of footsteps. He held his gun at the ready and waited for the opportune moment.

Mioda rounded the corner, the white stripes of her clothing glowing green, and faced a quick defeat.

"Aww, c'mon!" Mioda stomped her foot. "Ibuki's no good at this game, and it's no fair that people are teaming up. Ibuki lost AC-DC because she's fast like lightning! Greased lighting!" She ran off again and, true to her words, was gone in seconds.

Tanaka laughed heartily. "Those unfortunate enough to cross my path will-" He yelped, and Sonia turned to face him.

"I thought I felt a phantom hand graze my haunches."

...

"Komaeda, are you even trying?"

Komaeda shook his head from his position next to Nanami. "I just wanted to see the notorious gamer at work. I'm not interested in violence unless it's necessary."

The swindler leaned against the arena's railing and looked down. "I'm not really interested in this game either, to be honest. It's too loud, especially with this group." The trio paused to listen to another round of shouts and curses that seemed aimed at Hanamura. "I'm surprised we haven't been kicked out, honestly."

"You're doing such a wonderful job, Nanami," Komaeda crooned. "It's almost... unfair."

Nanami neglected to respond as she shot at another passerby, but she eventually said, "I let you two up here because I knew you wouldn't distract me. Don't prove me wrong."

_Pew._

Nanami's pack glowed red.

She looked down, blinked, looked back up to Komaeda.

"I'm sorry, Nanami, but I don't think the others had any chance of defeating you the way things were going." Komaeda backed up, holding his hands in front of him. "It was necessary, I thought. I hope you won't resent me for it."

"I've been hit," Nanami said. She sat cross-legged on the floor and closed her eyes.

The two still standing stared at her until she started to snore lightly. The swindler smiled. "I think you're fine, Komaeda. Nanami may be incapable of holding grudges."

...

"Look, you need to leave. Putting your hands on other people is not acceptable in here."

"I tripped, honestly. Is there some way I can just... make this little misunderstanding go away?"

"Sir, I will call the police if you don't go."

"Okay, 'kay, 'm'sorry..."

...

"Okay, have you guys actually been able to hit anyone yet?"

Souda jerked his head around the corner and looked back to Hinata. "I hit Hanamura that one time."

"Is that it?"

Tsumiki raised her hand. "Um, I hit Hanamura that one time, too. A-and Souda. I'm sorry!"

Hinata leaned against the wall. "So I'm probably the only person with no points."

"Well, no, there are some other people who probably aren't too good, like, uh..." Souda tapped his foot. "Komaeda? He gets tired pretty easy, right? And Mioda's probably too loud to sneak up on anyone." He shrugged. "Game's almost over, anyway. You're probably fine."

_Pew._

"Dude, what the hell?"

"I really need the points."

...

FINAL SCORES

1. MotherNES  
2. PekoPeko  
3. karinto420  
4. AntCrusher  
5. PolaroidPic  
6. Nirvana  
7. BigShitter  
8. meatmaster  
9. OverlordOfDa  
10. TheSquish  
11. MGC4eva  
12. Anon  
13. isopropyl  
14. luckyducky  
15. RocketMan69  
16. HHajime

"I am never playing this game again."

...

"Hey, has anyone seen Hanamura?"

Shh, don't say his name! He might-"

"My, is someone looking for their favorite big-city chef?"

"Hinata, you're not allowed to talk anymore."


End file.
